De Havilland Canada DHC-8 Dash 8
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The de Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. company was an aircraft manufacturer with facilities based in what is now the Downsview area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The original home of de Havilland Canada is now the home of the Canadian Air & Space Museum located in what is now Downsview Park.
The aircraft company was created in 1928 by British de Havilland Aircraft Company to build Moth aircraft for the training of Canadian airmen, and subsequently after the Second World War, designed and produced indigenous designs. After a number of company changes, Bombardier Inc. sold the rights to the out-of-production aircraft (DHC-1 through DHC-7) to Viking Air Ltd. of Sidney, British Columbia, in May 2005.
De Havilland Canada began development of the Dash 8 in the late 1970s in response to what it saw as a considerable market demand for a new generation 30 to 40 seat commuter airliner. The Dash 8 emphasized operational economics over STOL performance, which proved much more successful.
Like the Dash 7, the Dash 8 features a high mounted wing and T-tail, an advanced flight control system and large full length trailing edge flaps. Power is supplied by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW120 series (originally designated PT7A) turboprops. The first flight of the first of two preproduction aircraft was on 20 June 1983, while Canadian certification was awarded on 28 September 1984. The first customer delivery was to NorOntair of Canada on 23 October 1984.
The aircraft was introduced just as an older generation of feederliners was becoming too old to maintain economically, and there were few other new aircraft designs of its size that were ready for purchase; the ATR-42 entered service a year later, while most other designs (Dornier 328, Fokker 50, etc.) were only started in response to the success of the Dash 8. To date over 1000 Dash 8's have been delivered.
In the 1980s, the Canadian government privatized DHC and in 1986 sold the aircraft company to then Seattle-based Boeing. The government claimed to have guarantees
from Boeing, not to discontinue any product lines, but shortly thereafter, Boeing discontinued both the successful Twin Otter, and the Dash 7. The jigs and specialised equipment for their manufacture were destroyed.
Boeing was in heavy competition with Airbus Industrie for a series of new airliners for Air Canada, at that time a Canadian Crown corporation. Boeing used the DHC purchase
to further strengthen their commitment to their shared production contracts. The contract was particularity contentious. When Air Canada announced that Airbus had won the contract in 1988, amid claims of bribery, Boeing immediately put DHC up for sale, placing the company in jeopardy.
DHC was eventually acquired by Montreal-based Bombardier Aerospace in 1992. DHC was eventually incorporated into the Bombardier group of companies and the Dash-8 remains in production with a particular emphasis being placed on its quiet operation in comparison to other aircraft of a similar size. In April 2008, Bombardier announced that production of the 100, 200, and 300 series Dash 8's would be ended, leaving the Q400 as the only Dash 8 still in production. On June 2009, Bombardier commercial aircraft president Gary Scott stated that a stretched Q400 model will be "definitely part of our future", for possible introduction in 2013-14.
The aircraft company was created in 1928 by British de Havilland Aircraft Company to build Moth aircraft for the training of Canadian airmen, and subsequently after the Second World War, designed and produced indigenous designs. After a number of company changes, Bombardier Inc. sold the rights to the out-of-production aircraft (DHC-1 through DHC-7) to Viking Air Ltd. of Sidney, British Columbia, in May 2005.
De Havilland Canada began development of the Dash 8 in the late 1970s in response to what it saw as a considerable market demand for a new generation 30 to 40 seat commuter airliner. The Dash 8 emphasized operational economics over STOL performance, which proved much more successful.
Like the Dash 7, the Dash 8 features a high mounted wing and T-tail, an advanced flight control system and large full length trailing edge flaps. Power is supplied by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW120 series (originally designated PT7A) turboprops. The first flight of the first of two preproduction aircraft was on 20 June 1983, while Canadian certification was awarded on 28 September 1984. The first customer delivery was to NorOntair of Canada on 23 October 1984.
The aircraft was introduced just as an older generation of feederliners was becoming too old to maintain economically, and there were few other new aircraft designs of its size that were ready for purchase; the ATR-42 entered service a year later, while most other designs (Dornier 328, Fokker 50, etc.) were only started in response to the success of the Dash 8. To date over 1000 Dash 8's have been delivered.
In the 1980s, the Canadian government privatized DHC and in 1986 sold the aircraft company to then Seattle-based Boeing. The government claimed to have guarantees
from Boeing, not to discontinue any product lines, but shortly thereafter, Boeing discontinued both the successful Twin Otter, and the Dash 7. The jigs and specialised equipment for their manufacture were destroyed.
Boeing was in heavy competition with Airbus Industrie for a series of new airliners for Air Canada, at that time a Canadian Crown corporation. Boeing used the DHC purchase
to further strengthen their commitment to their shared production contracts. The contract was particularity contentious. When Air Canada announced that Airbus had won the contract in 1988, amid claims of bribery, Boeing immediately put DHC up for sale, placing the company in jeopardy.
DHC was eventually acquired by Montreal-based Bombardier Aerospace in 1992. DHC was eventually incorporated into the Bombardier group of companies and the Dash-8 remains in production with a particular emphasis being placed on its quiet operation in comparison to other aircraft of a similar size. In April 2008, Bombardier announced that production of the 100, 200, and 300 series Dash 8's would be ended, leaving the Q400 as the only Dash 8 still in production. On June 2009, Bombardier commercial aircraft president Gary Scott stated that a stretched Q400 model will be "definitely part of our future", for possible introduction in 2013-14.