Dash 8 Q300
de Havilland Canada / Bombardier · Canada · first flew 1987 · airliner
The Dash 8 Q300 is the stretched 50-seat derivative, with a 3.43 m longer fuselage and broader wing than the Q100/Q200, bridging the gap to the much larger Q400.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turboprop, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Fuselage stretched 3.43 m over the Q100/200 — seats 50-56 passengers; intermediate length between Q200 and Q400 |
| T — Tail | T-tail |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Fuselage stretched 3.43 m over the Q100/200 — seats 50-56 passengers; intermediate length between Q200 and Q400
- PW123 engines in same nacelle family as Q200 but different span-to-length ratio versus Q400
- Wingspan increased to 27.43 m versus Q100/200's 25.89 m — subtly broader wing visible from head-on
Longer fuselage and wider wing than Q100/Q200 but significantly shorter than the Q400 — the Q400's fuselage is almost as long as an ATR 72 whereas the Q300 is clearly a smaller aircraft.
Specifications
- The Dash 8 Q300 has a length of 25.68 m (84 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 27.43 m (90 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 529 km/h (329 mph).
- Typical crew: 2 flight crew.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown in 1987, the Series 300 addressed airline demand for more capacity while retaining the Dash 8's short-field performance; Bombardier added NVS equipment and the 'Q' prefix in 1997.
Variants
The Series 300A introduced higher gross weight options; the type is now marketed by Viking Air following Bombardier's exit from commercial aviation.
Where you'll see it
Widely used by Air Canada Jazz, Flybe, and other regional carriers; Flybe operated the Q300 extensively across UK domestic routes.
Related aircraft
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