Bombardier Dash 8 Q400

The Bombardier Dash 8-400, marketed as the Q400 and designated DH8D by ICAO, is the largest and fastest member of the Dash 8 family of twin turboprops. The line began with De Havilland Canada, which developed the roughly 37-to-40-seat DHC-8 Series 100 in the early 1980s; it first flew in 1983 and entered service in 1984. De Havilland Canada passed through Boeing ownership before Bombardier acquired the company in 1992 and continued the Dash 8, adding the stretched Series 300 and, later, the much larger Series 400.

In the mid-1990s Bombardier introduced an active noise and vibration suppression system to the Dash 8 to counter the cabin noise associated with turboprops. Aircraft fitted with it were rebranded the Q Series, the Q standing for quiet, so the Series 100, 200, 300 and 400 became the Q100, Q200, Q300 and Q400. The system uses tuned actuators to cancel much of the noise and vibration transmitted into the cabin, addressing one of the traditional passenger objections to propeller aircraft. The branding applied across the range, and the Dash 8 and Q Series names have often been used interchangeably for the same aircraft ever since.

The Dash 8-400 was a substantial development rather than a simple stretch. It first flew in 1998 and entered service in 2000 with Scandinavian Airlines. Seating roughly 70 to 90, it was designed to cruise far faster than earlier turboprops, at speeds approaching those of regional jets, while retaining a turboprop's lower fuel burn. The aim was explicit: to give airlines a propeller aircraft that could hold a schedule alongside jets on short routes but cost less to run.

That positioning captures the central trade-off the Q400 was built around. A turboprop burns markedly less fuel than a regional jet on short sectors and performs well from shorter runways, but it is slower and, historically, noisier; the Q400's high cruising speed and noise-suppression system were intended to narrow both gaps. Against the ATR 72, its main rival, the Q400 is faster but burns more fuel, so airlines have chosen between them according to whether speed or economy matters more on their networks. In 2019 Bombardier sold the Dash 8 program to Longview Aviation Capital, which revived the De Havilland Canada name; production was subsequently suspended. A Q400 operated by Colgan Air was involved in a fatal accident near Buffalo in 2009, an event whose investigation contributed to stricter United States pilot experience and training rules. The type remains widely flown, though no new examples are currently being built.

The Q400 is built for speed unusual among turboprops. Its two Pratt and Whitney Canada PW150A engines are considerably more powerful than those of smaller Dash 8s and of the ATR, and each drives a six-blade propeller. This lets the aircraft cruise at around 360 knots, close to jet speeds and well above the roughly 275 knots of an ATR 72, so it can share airways and schedules with regional jets on short routes.

Structurally it is a high-wing design with a T-tail and a long, slender fuselage. The main landing gear retracts forward into the engine nacelles, which are therefore long and extend well behind the wing, a distinctive feature.

The cabin, seating around 70 to 90 depending on layout, is fitted with the active noise and vibration suppression system that gives the Q its name; tuned actuators counter engine and propeller noise to make the interior quieter than an untreated turboprop. The trade-off for the Q400's speed is higher fuel burn than the slower ATR, so its economics favour longer or busier short-haul routes where the time saving is worth the extra fuel. Some operators have configured high-density single-class cabins seating close to 90. The aircraft's short-field performance and steep-approach capability have also let it serve constrained airports, including those with short runways close to city centres, that many jets cannot use.

The Q400 has been operated worldwide by regional and short-haul carriers, often where its speed lets it stand in for a regional jet. Notable users have included Porter Airlines and WestJet Encore in Canada and QantasLink in Australia, and, before their respective changes, Flybe in the United Kingdom and Horizon Air in the United States. Many operators run it on busy short-haul routes and hub feeds where its jet-like cruise keeps it competitive on block times. In some markets it flies in mainline colours; in others it operates for a regional subsidiary or franchise partner feeding a larger network. The type competes most directly with the ATR 72, and an airline's choice between the two usually reflects its route lengths and its balance between speed and fuel cost. With production suspended, current operators fly existing aircraft, and some fleets are being retired as jets or newer turboprops take over.

The Q400 is a high-wing twin turboprop with a T-tail, but it is longer and more slender than most propliners, which helps identification. The key cue against its main look-alike, the ATR 72, is the engine nacelles: the Q400's main landing gear folds into long nacelles that extend well behind the wing, whereas the ATR's gear tucks into fairings on the lower fuselage, leaving short nacelles. The Q400 also has a longer, more pointed nose, a taller tail and six-blade propellers set further outboard. Compared with the shorter Dash 8 Q300 and Q100, the Q400 is markedly longer, with more windows and a taller fin. Its overall length and the long nacelles are the fastest way to call it correctly from the ground.