ATR 42-500 & 72-500 V's Dash 8-300, 400

[Guptar]

Just looking at the website for ATR, was just wondering how the ATR products stack up agains the Dash 8 Competitors.

As an aside issue, if Rex somehow gets its act together and expands, logic would suggest it will need something bigger down the track. How would theATR stack up in that type of operation.

[Chris Higgins]

I understand that the newer ATRs are pretty good. I flew the series 300 and it was severely underpowered and performance limited. They're much better now and can carry a decent load. Pretty reliable now too. There was an American Eagle crew in the Dominican Republic I spoke with that said the old ones were junk, but the new ones are great.

[airman13]

after SAS decision to stop their Q400 operations,after several ldg gear problems ,I guess atr 500 series is back on top...

[THE ORACLE]

Guptar,

The ATR42-500 seats 48 passengers and is 30 knots faster than either the ATR72-500 the DCH8-200/300's and the Saab 340. It has good hot and high as well as unimproved airstrip and stol capabilities for operations that need it! New ATR's are very expensive to acquire compared with used DHC8-200/300's

REX is currently 8 to 10 airframes into a 25 airframe fleet re-equipment project. They are introducing Saab 340B+WT's which have new interiors and provide good hot and high performance. These aircraft are relatively low time, were cheaply acquired in a 'bulk buy' and provided there are pilots to fly them, will enable REX to be very cost competitive (against other turboprops) for many years.

Although the ATR doesn't have an APU (Dash 8's generally do) for ground airconditioning, it does have a serviceable propellor brake to enable ground airconditioning via the gas generator and it can be fitted with a separate Freon unit. Saab don't provide an APU on the SF34 and to get around this problem REX use stand-alone ground airconditioning units.

****** in Queensland operate a single ATR42-500 and it will be interesting to see how well it fares for them!!

[43Inches]

The SAAB also has provision for a prop brake for the same reason.

Unfortunately they are heavy and expensive to maintain so were quickly ditched.

[powerstall]

to sum it up. the DASH 8 is a pilot's airplane, while the ATR is an operators workhorse. :ok:

[Tenmen]

Power,

You are wrong there, ATR cockpit ergonomics are far superior!

With 4000 hrs on ATR's and some 7000 on Dash-8 2 's & 3' there is no doubt as to the better aircraft.

tenmen