How to Identify Turboprop Airliners

A number of aircraft manufacturers offer product lines of turboprop airliners designed for short and medium range routes, as well as specialized airport applications and environments.

Turboprop airliners typically carry fewer passengers, and on shorter trips, than do jet airliners. However, they use less fuel and offer airlines economic benefits on certain routes.

ATR 42 and 72

ATR is a Franco-Italian aircraft manufacturer headquartered at Toulouse Blagnac International Airport in Blagnac, France. The company was created in 1981 by Aérospatiale of France (now Airbus) and Aeritalia (now Leonardo) of Italy. Final assembly is at Toulouse.

Its primary products are the ATR 42 / ATR 72 turboprop, short-haul regional aircraft. ATR has sold more than 1,500 aircraft and has over 200 operators in more than 100 countries. The ATR 72 series seats from 30-78 passengers.

The ATR -600 features a state-of-the-art glass cockpit that incorporates the latest innovations in avionics technology. The glass cockpit further reduces ight crew workload and enhances situational awareness while providing better reliability, maintenance cost savings and weight reduction. The ATR -600 series has the widest cabin in the turboprop market.

Read more about ATR Airliners.

ATR-72-600 (Photos courtesy of ATR)

ATR 72-500 of Aurigny Air Service, Registration G-COBO (Photo by DELEHELLE Eric)

 

 

De Havilland Dash 8-400

The De Havilland Dash 8-400 is a twin-engine, medium-range turboprop aircraft seating 50-90 passengers, and developed in 1984. It was designed by and is manufactured by De Havilland Aircraft of Canada. It was marketed by Bombardier for a time as the "Q400".

Seating up to 90 passengers, the Dash 8-400 is the highest capacity turboprop on the market today and has the lowest unit cost. In addition to passenger configurations, the Dash 8-400 is highly versatile with the ability to serve as a freighter, firefighting aircraft, missionized aircraft, and more. With superior performance characteristics, the Dash 8-400 can operate in challenging conditions including on unpaved runways, in hot and high environments, and in remote communities where airport infrastructure may be lacking. It also offers 40% more range and 30% faster cruise speeds compared to conventional turboprops, making it the most productive turboprop on the market.

Since its launch, more than 620 Dash 8-400 aircraft have joined the fleets of over 70 owners and operators worldwide.

Read more about the De Havilland Dash 8-400.

Shown below is the overall design features of the De Havilland Dash 8-400, with its large T-tail, a high aspect ratio wing, elongated engine nacelles, pointed nose and 4-piece windshield.

Antonov Twin-Engine An-140 Turboprop Airliner

The AN−140 regional aircraft is intended for passenger and mixed cargo/passenger transportations. It can be operated in a wide range of the airfield heights and climate conditions, under good and adverse weather conditions, by day and night.

The aircraft's design features a high wing position, standard tail configuration and two wing−mounted ТV3−117VМА−SBМ1 turboprop engines. It can seat up to 52 passengers.

Antonov An-140 turboprop airliner (photos courtesy of the Antonov Company)