Speed Loss in Final Approach for a turboprop
 

Hi,

Could some one who flies a turboprop or flown one (like Q400 or ATR) tell me if the powerlevers are idle and from clean config the aircraft is changed to LG down, CL max, Flaps down (10), the airspeed loss? and the time to lose?

In a Dash 8 300 or 200 it takes about 8 nautical miles to slow from 240 knots to 150 knots while descending at around 1000 - 1500 fpm clean, once the gear, flap, and condition levers are down/forward it takes very little time to come further back to approach speed (about 120 knots).

If you slow down while flying level it'll happen a lot quicker. If you put the condition levers forward first (not SOP for us) you can slow it down very quickly (or achieve a high rate of descent while slowing down.)

I flew a Fokker 50 for a few years. What I tried to do was descend with 15-30% torque at Vno (minus a bit) and approaching 2,000' flew level and reduced the power gently to idle. At 180 kts or so, lowered one stage of flap and when on the glide lowered the gear and one more stage of flap. At 1,200' AAL and 140 kts or so, the power was reset to a guessed final approach value. Unfortunately, reality kept getting in the way.

PM