Anyone for the Twin Otter Electric in MSFS?
There is a Twin Otter for MSFS coming from Aerosoft, but the term “glass cockpit” is banned form the conversation, so let me ask: who will make the Eco Otter SX, an electric version of the classic?
First announced on September 15, 2020 by Mathijs Kok, on Aerosoft’s forums, the Twin otter is coming to Microsoft Flight Simulator somewhere during 2021. Recent images show that development is going ahead quickly and now that the CRJ is out of the door, the company has more time to get the Otter ready for release.
Mathijs Kok confirmed that Aerosoft will only do “old style Twotters… but 100 and 300 are planned” and the warning on the forums was clear: “The first person to say ‘glass cockpit’ is banned for ever. We really want this to be a old style sturdy aircraft.” Still, he admitted, “it will have some ‘modern’ gauges”, like GPS.
The continued stream of messages in the forums also revealed some other interesting information, like the fact, mentioned by Mathijs Kok, that in flight simulation short range aircraft as the Twin Otter “always get the highest sales numbers. The A330’s and 777 get the big attention, but not the most customers.” Early March Mathijs Kok also noted that the team “is closing up the work on the standard wheel model and soon starts on the other models (floats etc)” a development that indicates it may not take much longer before the Twin Otter rolls out of the hangar. A clear hint can be resumed in a single word: “Summer”.
Twin Otter, a day one buy
Anyone who has been around flight simulation for a while knows that the Otter is a darling of flight simmers around the world, because of its ability to do short hops, bush flights and… use short landing strips. This is an aircraft that gives a sense of adventure, so it should not be a surprise that so many people want to fly it, even if only in virtual skies. Having the aircraft coming to Microsoft Flight Simulator, where the graphic detail invites you to fly to distant corners of the world, because even the base scenery is — many times — beyond what was/is the norm, makes the Twin Otter from Aerosoft a clear choice. It’s a day one buy for me, no doubt.
While some users dream of having the Twin Otter in both the classic all gauges cockpit (DHC6–300ish) and the new DHC6–400 glass cockpit with modern GPS, the truth is that Aerosoft’s version will only be old school, confirmed Mathijs Kok. But as the noted in early March, work on the standard wheel model was almost finished so the team was moving to the version with floats. Bush versions with big tires and with skis might happen, he added, noting that they “might not be all in the initial release though, we’ll see.”
If you want to follow the — interesting — conversation about the development of the Twin Otter from Aerosoft, just follow the link to the company’s forums. There are many images there to see and a lot of comments to read. Have fun. So, having set the scene for Aerosoft’s Twin Otter, it’s time to turn to an experiment that looks towards the future: the Eco Otter SX from Ampere, a hybrid electric aircraft, a project started in 2019. Ampaire is working in cooperation with Ikhana Aircraft Services, known for engineering modifications for Twin Otters.
The Eco Otter SX, an “hybrid” aircraft
Ampaire was awarded a NASA contract to address hybrid electric propulsion on the Twin Otter as part of NASA EAP (Electric Aircraft Propulsion) efforts. Ampaire and Ikhana Aircraft Services are jointly executing this NASA program. The two companies are collaborating to evaluate various hybrid diesel/electric configurations for the aircraft, and to develop cost, schedule and risk mitigation plans for a further phase of aircraft development. Ampaire, that was recently acquired by Surf Air Mobility, is also responsible for the project of the Electric EEL, an “electrified” Cessna Skymaster 337, which I covered recently here at Outpost2 and suggested should be added to Microsoft Flight Simulator.
The “electrified” version of the Twin Otter, named Eco Otter SX should also be added to the simulation. In the real world, Ampaire is validating the capabilities of electrified aircraft with its biggest vehicle yet: the Twin Otter DHC6. The company is scaling its electric technology while easing certification by staying within the FAA’s Part 23 aircraft category. The roadmap points to a 22 -32 decibel reduction, with 65–75% reduction and 40–50% reduction in fuel/energy consumption.
While the effect these specifications have in the real world may not matter in a simulation, the challenge flying this aircraft may pose could be an interesting experience for sim users. As I noted before, a simulation pointing towards the future — as Microsoft Flight Simulator is — should be a test bed for developments we’re seeing in the real world.
A Twin Otter with a long history
Flying the classic Twin Otter from Aerosoft in Microsoft Flight Simulator will be an exciting experience, but I am also open to having a modern glass cockpit version, if some other company builds it. The cherry on top of the cake would be to have the electric version from Ampaire, which is, apparently, being built around the N808RT registration, an aircraft that first rolled out in 18th August 1976 under the registration XY-AEA, and that was registered under the new number by Ikhana Aircraft Services under in 12 June 2015, after being owned by companies as Burma Airways, or Air Seychelles, and flown in places as distant as Nairobi, in Kenya, or Azores, in Portugal.
The Eco Otter SX, a low-emission variant of the workhorse Twin Otter turboprop, used the world over as a regional airliner, cargo hauler and bush plane, as well as in a variety of specialized operations from surveillance to parachute jumping only needs a developer willing to take it towards the future. As the Cessna Skymaster 337, the Twin Otter is another “must have” I want to add to my hangar. And yes, the electric versions interest me! Do you also want them?
