De Havilland Dash 7
Photo Credit: Richard Vandervord
The De Havilland Dash 7, popularly known as the DHC-7, is a turboprop-powered regional airliner with short take-off and landing (STOL) performance. It first flew in 1975 and remained in production until 1988.
The new Dash 7 was essentially a larger, four-engine version of the Twin Otter. The general layout remained similar, with a high aspect ratio, high-mounted wing, and similar details of the cockpit and nose profile. Changes included the addition of cabin pressurization (requiring a switch to a fuselage with a circular cross-section), landing gear that folded forward into the inner engine nacelles, and a large T-tail intended to keep the elevator clear of the propwash during take-off (the Twin Otter’s empennage was a cruciform arrangement).
One hundred Dash 7 turboprops were delivered by 1984, when the production line was put on hold in favour of the Dash 8. Another 13 were delivered between 1984 and 1988, when the production lines were removed when Boeing bought the company.
The original Series 100 represents the vast majority of the aircraft delivered, and came in two models; the DHC-7-102 passenger version and -103 combi with an enlarged cargo door. These were followed by the Series 110 which met British CAA requirements, including the -110 and -111, and finally the Series 150 which included additional fuel capacity and an improved interior in the -150 and -151. Plans were made for a Series 200 with the new PT6A-50/7 engines which improved hot-and-high power, but these plans were shelved when Boeing ended production of the design.
Technical Specifications
| Crew | 2 Pilots – 2 Flight Attendants |
| Capacity: | 50 Passengers |
| Length: | 80 ft 7.75 in (24.5809 m) |
| Wingspan: | 93 ft 0 in (28.35 m) |
| Height: | 26 ft 2 in (7.98 m) |
| Wing Area: | 860 sq ft (80 m2) |
| Empty Weight: | 27690 lb (12560 kg) |
| Max Takeoff Weight: | 43999 lb (19958 kg) |
| Max Landing Weight: | 41998 lb (19051 kg) |
| Fuel Capacity: | 1480 US Gal |
| Max Payload: | 17056 lbs (7736.4715 kg) |
| Powerplant: | 4 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-50 turboprop engines, 1120 shp (840 kW) each |
| Propellers: | 4-bladed Hamilton constant speed feathering and reversible propellers |
| Cruise speed: | 436 kts (295.75 mph, 475.963488 km/h) at 20,000 ft (6096 m) |
| Range: | 690 nmi (790 mi, 1280 km) |
| Service ceiling: | 21000 ft (6401 m) |
Aircraft Registration
| Registration | MSN |
| C-GTAZ | 57 |
| C-GTAD | 26 |
| C-GTAJ | 30 |
| C-GWTG | 7 |
| N234SL | 24 |
| C-FCOQ | 44 |
| C-FDFK | 45 |
| C-GHRV | 74 |