Designed as a medium haul bush plane, the DHC-3 Otter has found favor with more than just commercial bush operators. The type has been flown by the military forces of several countries including Canada and the United States. Its rugged construction and relative ease of maintenance have made it particularly useful. The US Navy has operated a number of them during its Antarctic ventures in conjunction with the annual Operation Deep-Freeze, especially during the late 50s and early 1960s when piston powered aircraft were the norm on the Antarctic ice. 

Even today, there are a number of Otters in use. A recent conversion kit allows the use of a small turboprop engine in place of the radial engine of the original. These workhorses can be found on wheels, floats or skis, depending on the need.

This is one of Hobbycraft's earlier kits and so is not up to the standards of current Hobbycraft kits. While it does have engraved panel lines and is flash free, there are some sink marks, mostly on thicker parts. I could find no injector pin marks on any of the smaller pieces, which is a blessing. The transparencies are thick and distorted, which is really for the best as there is little to see in the interior. 

The interior consists of a cockpit with seats, instrument panel and control column. There is nothing behind the pilot and copilot, so you are on your own for filling the back of this aircraft.  The kit is meant to be built as a floatplane and so there are no wheel options offered. However, there is another boxing of this kit that includes all three. I just happened to have grabbed this kit when it first came out so didn't get that version. There is also an option of installing an open cargo door with a passenger door in it. 

Early Hobbycraft kits had two major drawbacks, instructions and decals. Those are both evident with this kit. First off, the instructions while adequate for assembling the kit, give no color information at all for the interior of the kit. Only colors mentioned are in the decal and exterior painting section where generic colors are given. You have your choice of Otters in this regard. One is a Canadian AF version in overall aluminum with red wing and stabilizer markings and a black underside and anti-glare panel. The other is a very similar USAF painted aircraft, though in this case the plane is overall white with additional red on the fin. Since the decals are basically junk, besides being out of register, it will be up to the modeler to find alternative decals for this kit. I know of no aftermarket decals for this kit.

Unenviably, it is often the purvey of the reviewer to note all the things wrong with kits. Having done so, I would like to also point out several other things about this kit. First of all, it is the only injected 1/72 Otter around and Hobbycraft should be commended on producing it. Secondly, despite what I have said about the decals, instructions and other items that keep the kit from being perfect, it is a very nicely done model and should certainly build into a nice representation of an Otter. Of all the Hobbycraft kits I have built, none of them have been difficult to assemble. There may possibly be shape or dimensional inaccuracies with this kit and I'll let others comment on them, but I see none that jump out at me.

One thing I would do when building this kit is to put a lot of weight in the forward part of the floats to keep it from setting back as most float planes I have built have been tailheavy.

Review kit courtesy of me and my wallet!

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