Bombardier Q400 tech info

[CaptainDan]

Hi All,

Are there any Q400 pilots out there who could give me some tech info. I've got an upcoming interview with Flybe, and want to be prepared in case they ask me anything technical.

I obviously know the basics such as max service ceiling etc.

Cheers

CaptainDan

[superdash]

they wont ask but

q400.com will give you all the info you need times 10

[philc1983]

Have a good look at tech data relating to 'T' tail aircraft and also some of the ins and outs of their 'Noise and Vibration suppression system'. Quite likely to be asked.

Check this website for some other basics.

Q400.COM - Home Page (http://www.q400.com/q400/en/home.jsp)

Or if you want to pm me with an email i may be able to send you some feedback stuff.

Best of luck,

Phil.

[PollyVFTO]

Are you having a Direct Entry Interview or are you applying for a Ab Initio/sponsorship program?
PM me if you need more info and I hope I can answer your questions.

Polly

[CaptainDan]

Cheers for that guys

CaptainDan

[G SXTY]

Why do we select the props to max rpm for landing?

Why is the Q400 limited to FL250?

Why does it have a yaw damper, and how does it work?

Why does it land like a shopping trolley?


For extra brownie points you could compare and contrast the fuel burn and passenger carrying capacity of the Q400 and E145, and discuss trends in the environmental lobby, and their impact on aviation.

[Otto Throttle]

They would be infinitely more impressed if you had the numbers for the base engineers! :}

[Coffin Corner]

K7's correct, when I did my interview a few years ago I had Q400/195 knowledge leaking from every orifice. On the day they asked me zero questions about the aircraft.
The interview will be focused on HR type questions with some tech questions based on a "subject of the week", i.e. Meteorology, Performance etc. Met is a good one to brush up on with the impending winter season.

[powerstall]

Don't expect a lot of tech questions regarding the Q400. Brush up on HR questions and some decision making situations. Good luck!:ok:

[Blueskyrich]

Why does it land like a shopping trolley?

Excuses, excuses.

I'm more of a fan of, 'blimey, did you feel that bit of cheekiness in the wind just as I flared?... :E

[Death Pencil]

There's more than you will need to know here;
SmartCockpit - Dash-8 400 (http://www.smartcockpit.com/plane/bombardier/DASH-8-400/)

Agree with the previous callers... don't worry about the tech side of things too much; leave that for ground school if you get the job. Perhaps brush up on info on your current/previous aircraft.. they're the ones you're endorsed on!

[assymetricdrift]

As someone said to me "You can't get more textbook than that", having just done one of the most horrific touchdowns you'll ever imagine.

I prefer the "lump in the runway" excuse.

[Clandestino]

Why is the Q400 limited to FL250?

Why does it land like a shopping trolley?

Really, why?

[G SXTY]

Why is the Q400 limited to FL250?

Passenger drop-down O2 not fitted. It’s an optional extra and not really worth it on most Flybe routes as (from memory) it only gives another 2 or 3 thousand feet capability.


Why does it land like a shopping trolley?

Extremely rigid MLG configuration. Presumably it’s designed that way due to the sheer length of the legs and aircraft weight (around 50% more than the classic Dashes) but whatever the reason, it’s nigh-on impossible to achieve consistently smooth landings. It doesn’t seem to make much difference what you do – it’s basically a throw of the dice after the 10’ radalt call. Most Q400 drivers have long since qiven up worrying about the ‘quality’ of their landings, but I’m sad enough to keep a record of my greasers. Roughly 1 in 20 . . . :ooh:

[BluffOldSeaDog]

SXTY - love your profile interests:)

[EK4457]

It was also his 999th post,

drum roll please.....

;)

[ant152]

Capt. Dan.

I did the same interview for the MAPS yesterday... how do you think you did?
X

[Otto Throttle]

It lands like a shopping trolley because that's what it is made from. Most other airliners get turned into shopping trolleys after service, not before.

;)

I swear I've seen a Tesco logo on the control wheel.

[assymetricdrift]

I always assumed that what caused the Dash to land like a sack of homesick spuds was because of the designs of the wheels.

A combination of the damping and the spinning up of the tyres of the MLG on landing causes the strange juddering feeling that you get after landing it. But either way the damping of the undercarriage after landing is normally to blame, it's why your stastically more likely to get a nice landing in some of the older horses than the new ones - or for that matter when the aircraft has had its struts pumped.

I might be totally barking up the wrong tree with this...

But below 10 feet, it really is a lottery as to what landing you'll get.

1 in 20 are greasers for you??? I'd be chuffed with that record. I think mine is one every 3 months - and that's only because of the crosswind/wet runway combination. If I hear the words CALM and CAVOK on the ATIS, I know what's coming next...

[Coffin Corner]

If you get the damn thing straight then normally there isn't an issue. The Dash hates landing on a skew because of the hard struts. If it does land on a skew it "shudders" straight, this is where the shopping trolley thing comes from. This is also why it lands nicely on a wet runway, because instead of skewing straight when the tyres grip, it "skids, or slips" straight giving a softer feel.
Another thing affecting it is power, as we all know (those that fly it) those massive 4.11m props give alot of residual lift over the wing, so if you come in a little slow with a lower power setting she is going to drop like a proverbial brick. Alot of the ex jet jockeys tend to reduce power when landing flap 15, this will cause more sink than normal. We all know when landing flap 15 that if you are at Vref then she'll sit down with the power left alone.
Assy is also right about the struts being pumped. I've been positioning and have seen the most beautiful touchdown, but when it sits down it seems like the oleos bottom out, giving that hard landing feel.

To my mind the 3 main common things causing it to land badly are:

1. Landing off straight
2. Low power setting
3. Oleos that need a "boost".

CC

[assymetricdrift]

4/ Flap 35 Landings....

:}