Regional · ICAO DH8C

De Havilland Canada DHC-8-300 Dash 8

The DHC-8-300 stretched the Dash 8 family by 3.4 m over the -100/-200, raising typical seating from around 39 to 50-56 passengers while keeping the same high-T-tail, twin-turboprop layout. It uses Pratt & Whitney PW123 series engines rated up to roughly 2,500 shp in the later 300B/300E subvariants, giving cruise speeds near 287 knots. The stretch made it a genuine regional airliner rather than a commuter feeder, and it stayed in production after the -100 was discontinued. Many -300s remain in scheduled service with regional carriers worldwide.

De Havilland Canada DHC-8-300 Dash 8, example photo from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Olga Ernst · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Did you know?

The stretched Dash 8-300 gained enough extra cabin length to serve busier regional routes without needing a full-size regional jet.

Specifications

Length25.7 m (84 ft)
Wingspan27.4 m (90 ft)
Height7.5 m (25 ft)
Maximum passengers50
Persons on board50
Maximum take-off weight18.6 t
Range1,355 NM (2,509 km)
Maximum speed287 kt (532 km/h)
Service ceiling25,000 ft (7,620 m)
Optimum ceiling22,000 ft (6,706 m)
Rate of climb1,800 ft/min (9.1 m/s)
Take-off distance1,148 m (3,766 ft)
Landing distance1,177 m (3,862 ft)
Fuel capacity3,320 l
Engines2x Pratt & Whitney Canada PW123

Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.

In CatchFlights

In CatchFlights the De Havilland Canada DHC-8-300 Dash 8 starts as a Uncommon catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.

A catch counts for the manufacturer De Havilland Canada, the Dash 8 family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.

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