One for the intrepid explorers among you, here's a fictional repaint of the excellent Asobo/Microsoft/Orbx de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou in the colours of the British Antarctic Survey. The BAS Air Wing has never operated the DHC-4, though it is a long-time de Havilland Canada customer having operated DHC-3 Otter and currently the DHC-6 Twin Otter (after which his livery is based) and the four-engined DHC-7.
Antarctica is the coldest, harshest and most isolated environment on the planet. Even in summer, only a few thousand people inhabit the continent and there are vast distances between research stations. Geographically, Antarctica is also isolated from the rest of the world – the nearest civilisation is some five hours away by air - and weather can be highly changeable. Consequently, flying in the region is hugely challenging - BAS pilots receive specialist training and always fly with a co-pilot, aircraft carry fuel reserves and emergency supplies because Antarctic flying is extremely weather
dependent.
Today, BAS's fleet is typically deployed to Rothera Research Station in the Antarctic between October and March. The Dash 7 is used on the airbridge to Stanley in the Falklands and to Punta Arenas in Chile, carring up to 16 passengers or 2,000kg of cargo on each leg including spares, urgent supplies and fresh food. The smaller DHC-6s are generally employed transporting people, fuel, skidoos and sledges, food and scientific equipment to remote camps across the region, operating on skis from unprepared snow strips. The latter can also be fitted with specialist instruments designed to capture geophysical and meterological data.
The aircraft typically recover back to the UK for the northerm hemisphere summer, so each flying season starts and ends with a mammoth 13,500 mile ferry flight. For the Twin Otters, this has previously consisted of:
Day 1 = Duxford to Reykjavik (incl. fuel stop at Belfast)
Day 2 = Reykjavik to Kangerlussuaq (Greenland)
Day 3 = Kangerlussuaq to Iqaluit (Canada)
Day 4 = Iqaluit to Churchill (Canada)
Day 5 = Churchill to Prince Albert (Canada)
Day 6 = Prince Albert to Calgary
The aircraft undergo maitenance in Canada before pressing south, taking 6-9 days to reach Rothera. Legs are typically:
Calgary - Waco, Texas
Waco - Roatan, Honduras
Roatan - Guayaquil, Equador
Guayaquil - Arica, Chile
Arica - Puerto Mont, Chile
Puerto Mont - Punta Arenas
Punta Arenas - Rothera
TO INSTALL, UNZIP INTO YOUR COMMUNITY FOLDER
Happy flying
Geordie
RF86_kojak
極地で飛行する航空機がよくわかるすば素晴らしい塗装をありがとうございます。
Thank you for the wonderful painting if you understand well the aircraft flying in the polar regions.
rjs1138
"Ice Cold
AlexAlice", nice touch!