How deep is the river that DHC6 - Twin Otter float plane can land on ? How a bout the wide of the river ?

Question

If we setup an airport for the float plane, what standard do we obey ?...I want to know about the dept, the wide of the river that we can construct the air base ?

Answer 1

Its a float plane. If the river's  deep enough and wide enough to float the sucker then build your airbase. Make sure it's long enough too of course. I assume you know the keel depth and width of twin otter floats.

Answer 2

Why don't you call/email the DHC6 manufacturer and ask them?

Why don't you locate and contact an operator of a DHC6 and ask them also?

Answer 3

That's an excellent question that I don't have the exact answer to - but I'll brainstorm some considerations with you.

Assuming that a 300 series DHC6 weights in at 12,500lbs max, with a wingspan of 65 feet, my gut says you're going to want 6-8 feet of unobstructed depth to ensure you don't hit bottom when you land the aircraft. With regard to how wide the river is, make sure it's at least 80 feet across to clear your wings.

A consideration with making an air base on a river would be current - most airbases / seaports are on a body of water such as a bay or a lake with little to no tidal movement (which would affect takeoff and landing performance if you were, say, taking off with a following current (similar to taking off with a tailwind I'd imagine).

I took a look on-line for you and saw a .pdf from the Maldives of a few considerations they were considering for making a seaport that was catered to certain aircraft - including the DHC-6. Give it a look and good luck!