ATR 72 vs Dash 8 Q400
The ATR 72 and the De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400 are both twin turboprops with a high wing and a T-tail, so the outline alone does not settle it. Watch the landing gear: the Q400 retracts its main gear into the engine nacelles, while the ATR stows it in pods on the side of the fuselage. The Q400 is also the bigger and faster of the two — about 5.7 metres longer than the ATR 72-600 and around 85 knots faster at the top end.
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Side by side
| Specification | ATR 72 | Dash 8 Q400 |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 27.2 m (89 ft) | 32.8 m (108 ft) |
| Wingspan | 27.1 m (89 ft) | 28.4 m (93 ft) |
| Height | 7.7 m (25 ft) | 8.2 m (27 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 78 | 90 |
| Persons on board | 68-74 | 78 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 23 t | 28.6 t |
| Range | 825 NM (1,528 km) | 1,100 NM (2,037 km) |
| Maximum speed | 275 kt (509 km/h) | 360 kt (667 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 25,000 ft (7,620 m) | 25,000 ft (7,620 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 21,000 ft (6,401 m) | 24,000 ft (7,315 m) |
| Rate of climb | – | 2,200 ft/min (11.2 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 1,100 m (3,609 ft) | 1,361 m (4,465 ft) |
| Landing distance | 920 m (3,018 ft) | 1,293 m (4,242 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 5,700 l | 6,710 l |
| Engines | 2x Pratt & Whitney PW127M | 2x PW150A |
| Units built | – | 600 |
| Airframes seen in 30 days | 441 | 311 |
| Rarity in CatchFlights | Common | Uncommon |
Compared variant for variant: the Atr ATR-72-600 and the De Havilland Canada DHC-8-400 Dash 8. Specifications are curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; a dash means no source could confirm the value.
Airframes seen are the different aircraft of each type the receiver networks CatchFlights uses saw in the last 30 days — a lower bound, since aircraft out of range or without a broadcasting transponder are not counted.
Catch both. CatchFlights shows the aircraft flying near you on a radar, so either of these is only a catch away when it passes overhead. Explore CatchFlights.
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