Q100
For series of diesel locomotives built by GE, see List of GE locomotives.
The Bombardier Dash 8 (formerly the de Havilland Canada Dash 8, sometimes abbreviated as DHC-8) is a series of twin-engined, medium range, turboprop airliners. Introduced by de Havilland Canada (DHC) in 1984, they are now produced by Bombardier Aerospace.
Since 1996, the aircraft have been known as the Q Series, for "quiet". Over 900 Dash 8s of all models have been built. Bombardier forecasts a total production run of 1,192 units of all Dash8/QSeries variants through the year 2016.
Design and development
DHC-8-102 of Air Inuit
Planform view of a Flybe Q400 take off, showing the high aspect ratio wings, the slender nacelles (containing the main undercarriages) and the pointed nose.
In the 1970s, de Havilland Canada had invested heavily in their Dash 7 project, creating what was essentially a larger four-engine version of their Twin Otter concentrating on excellent STOL (Short Takeoff And Landing) and short-field performance, their traditional area of expertise.
Using four medium-power engines with large four-bladed propellers resulted in very low noise levels which, combined with its excellent STOL characteristics, made the Dash 7 suitable for operating from small in-city airports, a market DHC felt would be compelling. However, only a handful of air carriers employed the Dash 7 as most regional airlines were more interested in operational costs than short-field performance.
In 1980, de Havilland responded by dropping the short-field performance requirement and adapting the basic Dash 7 layout to use only two, more powerful, engines.
Originally designated the PT7A-2R engine, it later became the PW120. When the Dash 8 rolled out on 19 April 1983, more than 3800 hours of testing had been accumulated over two years on five PW100 series test engines.
The company was eventually purchased by Bombardier in 1992.
Flybe Q400 at Bristol Airport, Bristol, England.
DHC-8-103Q of Ryukyu Air Commuter.
The market demand for short-haul airliners was so great that Aerospatiale of France paired with Italy's Alenia to form ATR. The resulting ATR 42 was even less expensive than the Dash 8, but de Havilland Canada responded with newer models to close the gap.
Other companies competed with smaller or more tailored designs, like the Saab 340 and Embraer Brasilia, but by the time these were introduced the market was already reaching saturation.
All Dash 8s delivered from the second quarter of 1996 (including all Series 400s) include the Active Noise and Vibration Suppression (ANVS) system designed to reduce cabin noise and vibration levels to nearly those of jet airliners. To emphasize their quietness, Bombardier renamed the Dash 8 models as the Q Series turboprops (Q200, Q300 and Q400).
The Dash 8-100 is no longer in production, with the last Dash 8-102 built in 2005.
Production of the Q200 and Q300 will cease in May 2009.
Regional jet competition
The introduction of the regional jet altered the sales picture. Turboprop aircraft have lower fuel consumption and can operate from shorter runways than regional jets, but have higher engine maintenance costs, shorter ranges and lower cruising speeds.
The market for new aircraft to replace existing turboprops once again grew in the mid-1990s, and de Havilland responded with the improved "Series 400" design.
When world oil prices drove up short-haul airfares in 2006, an increasing number of airlines that had bought regional jets began to reassess turboprop regional airliners, which use about 30% less fuel than regional jets.
Although the market does not appear to be as robust as in the 1980s when the first Dash 8s were introduced, 2007 saw increased sales of the only two 40+ seat regional turboprops still in western production, Bombardier's Q400 and its competitor, the ATR series of 50-70 seat turboprops. The Q400 has a cruising speed close to that of most regional jets, and its mature engines and systems require less frequent maintenance, reducing its disadvantage.
The aircraft breaks even with about 1/3rd of its seats filled (or 1/4 with more closely spaced seats), making it particularly attractive on routes with varying passenger numbers where many seats will be empty on some flights.
For example, Island Air in Hawaii calculated that the use of a 50-seat Regional Jet would break even at 45 passenger seats compared to the Q400's 35-36 seats (around 55% breakeven load factor). Most short-haul routes are less than 350 miles (500 km), so the time spent on taxiing, takeoff and landing virtually eliminates a competing jet's speed advantage.
Following an incident at Copenhagen Airport, October 27, 2007, Scandinavian Airlines' executive board decided to cease operation of the Q-400 model, primarily out of concern for the company's reputation. On March 10, 2008, SAS ordered 27 more aircraft from Bombardier in a compensation deal.
Variants
Series 100
DHC-8-100 series
Original 37–39 passenger version that entered service in 1984. The original engine was the PW120A (CAA validated on 13 December 1985); later units used the PW121 (CAA validated on 22 February 1990).
Rated engine power is 1,800 shp (1343 kW).
DHC-8-101
1984 variant powered by either two PW120 or PW120A engines and a 14,970kg (33,000lb) take-off weight.
DHC-8-102
1986 variant powered by either two PW120A or PW121 engines and a 15,649kg (34,500lb) take-off weight.
DHC-8-103
1987 variant powered by two PW121 engines and a 15,649 (34,500lb) take-off weight (can be modifed for a 15,966kg (35,200lb) take-off weight)
DHC-8-106
1992 variant powered by two PW121 engines and a 16,466 kg (36,300lb) take-off weight.
DHC-8M-100
Two aircraft for Transport Canada.
CC-142
Military transport version for the Canadian Forces in Europe.
CT-142
Military navigation training version for the Canadian Forces.
E-9A
A USAF range control aircraft that operates out of Tyndall AFB, Florida to ensure that the military ranges in the Gulf of Mexico are clear of civilian boats and aircraft during live fire tests and other hazardous military activities. Two airframes are assigned to the base for the support of training missions.
Deicing a propeller on a SAS Q400, Växjö Airport, Sweden
Series 200
DHC-8-200 Series
Series 100 airframe with more powerful Pratt & Whitney Canada PW123 engines (rated at 2,150 shp or 1,604 kW) for improved performance also capable of carrying 37 to 39 passengers.
DHC-8-201
1995 variant powered by two PW123C engines.
DHC-8-202
1995 variant powered by two PW123D engines.
Q200
Version of the DHC-8-200 with the ANVS system.
Series 300
DHC-8-300 Series
Stretched 3.43 m (11 ft) over the Series 100/200, a 50–56 passenger version that entered service in 1989.
Its engines are PW123 or PW123B or PW123E, rated at 2,500 shp or 1,865 kW.
DHC-8-301
1989 variant powered by two PW123 engines
DHC-8-311
1990 variant powered by two PW123 engines
DHC-8-314
1992 variant powered by two PW123B engines
DHC-8-315
1995 variant powered by two PW123E engines
DHC-8-300A
Version of the DHC-8-300 with increased payload.
Q300
Version of the DHC-8-300 with the ANVS system.
Series 400
Q400
Stretched and improved 70–78 passenger version that entered service in 2000. Powered by PW150A engines rated at 5,071 shp (3,783 kW) at maximum power (4,850 shp or 3,618 kW maximum continuous rated).