Aircraft Asset Assessment: DCH8-400

Market Presence. As a turboprop the Dash8-400 was previously inevitably tarnished by the general perception that the age of the turboprop had been consigned to history. The incidents involving the landing gears also caused values to temporarily falter before rebounding. The view that the era of the turboprop was at an end was clearly overstated. The high speed, interior comfort and advanced specification of the Dash8Q-400 are a match for regional jets on some sectors, particularly where fleet commonality and passenger perceptions are less important. The different operating weights of the -400 allow considerable flexibility in terms of range performance. At over 1,300 nautical miles, a large number of routes will be able to be served though few passengers will be enthusiastic about a two hour plus sector time. The potential range capability is more important in terms of allowing maximum payload, improving take-off performance and facilitating multi-hop sectors without the need to refuel. The competition to the Dash8-400 is naturally the ATR72-500/-600 which is enjoying considerable popularity, much more so than the Dash8. The production rates of the ATR product are increasing while those of the Dash8 are falling. Spheres of influence continue to exist for manufacturers. Each manufacturer encounter difficulties that go beyond product specification should they seek to sell in a competitors backyard. Bombardier has an advantage in being able to sell both regional jets and turboprops but this seems not to have helped in recent years.