Wipaire, a manufacturer of aircraft floats and an engineering and modifications specialist based in South St Paul, Minnesota, has received a Technical Standard Order (TSO) C27A approval from the FAA for its Wipline C13000S composite seaplane floats. These floats are for the DHC-6 Twin Otter series.

“The TSO is the first step of approval from the FAA for our composite float programme. It validates the design and production data submitted by our development team,” says vice president of engineering Brad Kutz. “We met our goal of reducing weight from the existing Wipline 13000 seaplane floats. From here we will continue towards FAA approval for installation.

The Wipline C13000S floats are made of aerospace grade carbon fibre and are designed to be installed on a DHC-6 Twin Otter series with same strut package.

“We are thrilled to achieve this milestone. We did not just develop a float, we also gained significant composite expertise which will support the next generation of our products. I am proud of our engineers' and additional team members' work on this project, and I am excited to see us approach the finish line as we embark on flight testing and fine tuning the fit and finish of this product, leading to final supplemental type certificate (STC) for installation on the Twin Otter,” adds president and CEO Chuck Wiplinger.