Viking
Air, Ltd, a long time de Havilland Aircraft Company, Canada, parts
supplier and repair station for de Havilland aircraft, began purchasing
the rights to the DHC2 Beaver, and other de Havilland aircraft, when de
Havilland ceased operations in the 1980s.
In
addition to refurbishing the venerable DHC2 and maintaining the 60
PT6A-20 powered Mark II and III Beavers which de Havilland built before
closing its doors, they began converting DHC2 Beavers to DHC2T (Turbo)
configuration, extending the fuselage, redesigning the vertical
stabilizer and rudder area, fitting them with the PT6A-27 engine, and in
some cases installing new instrument panels and avionics.
Shade Tree Micro Aviation's DHC2T Turbo Beavers
model three separate variants which Viking produced in the years
between de Havilland's demise and Viking acquiring full rights to the
aircraft in 2006 :
RETRO
which depicts the upgrade path which many operators have chosen,
fitting some modern avionics and turbine engine gauges into a reworked
airframe but which retains the original Beaver smoothly curved
instrument panel.
TUNDRA which has a more modern looking squared off instrument panel which offers more real estate for instruments and avionics.
GLASS which incorporates a modern Pilot Flight Display (PFD)/Multi-Function Display (MFD) Mounted in the Tundra panel
These three models are being released together, in three configurations each: Wheels, Skis, and Floats.
Features:
- AutoUpdate (AU). Never
have to worry about downloading and apply bug-fix patches or updates
again. AU does the heavy lifting for you. Completely controllable with
a couple of mouse clicks.
- X-Plane's
new GNS 530 approach-capable GPS with fully functional bezel in both
the default panel mount view and when popped up (this is an intermediate
size between the panel mount and the X-Plane pop-up).
- A Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI)
- A new 2 Axis Autopilot with GPSS (GPS Steering)
- A
full-functioning ADF, which receives all 3 HF frequency bands, and
includes NDB loop homing, a feature which virtually all ADF have but is
unique to our ADF in X-Plane.
- A
fully animated 3D cockpit with manipulator controls. We strongly
recommend our ChaseViewDeluxe (CVD) and TrackerXP (TXP) head tracking
plugins to maximize viewing both in the cockpit and in exterior views.
TXP requires only an inexpensive webcam to provide the same look-around
viewing offered by other head trackers at a fraction of the cost.
- Shade
Tree Micro Aviation's Dock which provides control over functions such
as the popped up GPS, opening and closing doors, and raising and
lowering passenger seat backs to increase light cargo storage.
- Both passenger and cargo interiors.
- Detachable cargo pod.
- Tiedown ropes. Airplane will not move with Tiedown engaged. Tiedown works on land or water.
- Storable remove-before-flight flags, inlet covers, pitot tube covers, and wheel chocks.
- Our
new airport tug which uses Dock commands or our STMA Remote to maneuver
the airplane into and out of our STMA Hangars or into and out of
parking spots on the ramp.
RealityXP Integration
“The
Beaver now displays either a panel-mount RealityXP (RXP) GTN650
navigation unit or the stock X-Plane GNS430 unit under the following
conditons. If the conditions are not met only the stock GNS unit
displays.
- The model is installed on a WindowsPC (RXP products are Windows Only).
- You have purchased and installed the RXP GTN650 subscription.
- The appropriate RXP plugin has been installed in the X-Plane\Resources\Plugins folder.
- The
stock X-plane navigation unit will continue to display until the RXP
unit is activated (Example: Overhead Menu -> Reality XP GTN ->
GTN1 -> GTN650).
- To revert to the stock GNS unit, simply deselect the RXP unit from the menu.”