Silly Questions about the DHC-1 -> DHC-8 Series Names

[xchox]

Did the DHC-7 or DHC-8 ever have a name? Or were names ever discussed?
And while we are at it... Was there ever a DHC-9? Even if just an idea on paper?

DHC-1 Chipmunk
DHC-2 Beaver
DHC-3 Otter
DHC-4 Caribou
DHC-5 Buffalo
DHC-6 Twin Otter
DHC-7 ???
DHC-8 ???

[DHC-1 Jockey]

DHC-7 = Dash 7
DHC-8 = Dash 8

I don't know if they ever had "proper" names.

There were designs to build an ab-initio air force jet trainer in the late 50's/early 60's and I've even had my hands on the promotional material from deHavilland outlining performance figures, design diagrams, etc. It looked a lot like the BAC Jet Provost. I can't remember if they gave it a name or not, but it would have been in development around the time the the DHC 4, 5 and 6 came out so if it were ever actually produced, it might have been given that designation, and then everything else would have been pushed back a number.

[Chris M]

Was there ever a DHC-9? Even if just an idea on paper?

While there's been talk of a stretched Dash-8-400 I doubt it will ever materialize. Bombardier has little love for the legacy DH airplanes. I personally think that a shortened version of the plane would be a hit, say a Q350. There are a pile of 100/200/300 series Dash-8s in service that are old and tired, and the Q400's often fly at less than full capacity. A modern ~50 seat Dash-8 could fill in those routes. ATR still sells their -42 after all and are the only competitor in that class.

But what do I know... I only build the airplanes. Management ain't my thing.

[WetJet]

I've wondered the same thing. We couldn't get an answer in 2010 either!

http://www.avcanada.ca/forums2/viewtopi ... 54&t=65122

[xchox]

For the DHC-7 I've heard about "Moose". Several other guys who used to work at Time Air also called it "Porcupine" because they were always getting hit or walking into something when working around the planes.

I like Moose! Shall we do a poll and give it an un-official... official name?

Still need one for the DHC-8... Loon or Goose for the slant nose? lol

Thanks WestJet!

[xchox]

I personally think that a shortened version of the plane would be a hit, say a Q350. There are a pile of 100/200/300 series Dash-8s in service that are old and tired, and the Q400's often fly at less than full capacity. A modern ~50 seat Dash-8 could fill in those routes. ATR still sells their -42 after all and are the only competitor in that class.

Agreed!

I also think someone needs to make a new 15-30 seat aircraft that can replace Metroliners, 1900's, 328's Earlier DHC-6's Earlier 228's.

[linecrew]

Marketing used the "Dash" as a play on words as the intended role for both aircraft were relatively fast commuter airliners. Embraer also stopped naming their aircraft types after the EMB-110 Bandeirante and EMB-120 Brasilia.

On a related note, I'm sure that when the Dash-8-400 came out that the marketing folks didn't want to sell it as just another Dash-8 so they went with just Q400. McDonnell Douglas made a similar move with the DC-9 series. The MD-80 and MD-90 series were the dash numbers of the DC-9 type (DC-9-80, DC-9-90)

[oldtimer]

When I was in Toronto around 1970 or so on the Twin Otter course at DH, they showed us a bit of a mockup of a corperate aircraft they were thinking of designing which looked somewhat like a pressurized, retractable and streamlined 9 or 10 passenger non STOL Twin Otter size airplane but it was just a preliminary design idea that apparently went nowhere. Has anyone ever heard of this?.
Time Air called their first 3 Dash 7's SKYDASH because the idea was to dash from Lethbridge to Calgary and/or Edmonton Muni starting with a handibus from downtown hotels to downtown hotels but apparently security got in the way. Remember this was how Stub Ross got started in Lethbridge by picking up passengers in downtown Lethbridge with a VW bus and driving them to the airport.

[BTD]

I personally think that a shortened version of the plane would be a hit, say a Q350. There are a pile of <a href="tel:100/200/300">100/200/300</a> series Dash-8s in service that are old and tired, and the Q400's often fly at less than full capacity. A modern ~50 seat Dash-8 could fill in those routes. ATR still sells their -42 after all and are the only competitor in that class.

But what do I know... I only build the airplanes. Management ain't my thing.

There was the -8 Q200 and 300 that were built during the first years of the Q400 program. They stopped due to lack of sales. Maybe the market doesn't demand it.

[plhought]

Kind of off topic but:

The later S/N -200's and -300 arn't really "modernized" Dashes. While they share a similar interior and 'aspects' of the -400's ANVS, they are still 1980's EFIS equipped, relay driven, brethren of the -100s. Don't get me wrong though. A 16,000 hour -300 is a fantastic machine for an operator. Just way to bloody expensive nowadays. Better yet a low-time -200...

Personally, i've always been really intrigued by the amount of technical and engineering skill that must have went into the -7s and -8s at DHC in the 70's. It must have been a real jump in terms of expertise and knowledge to go from the Twin to (at the time) was a pretty revolutionary step up in that market in the Dash 8. ECU's! AHRS!, that fancy Honeywell 802 autopilot and display! Slow-turning propellers! Pressurization!

Still awesome to see that big Vert. Stab on the Dash though - still a bit of -6 blood in there I guess

It is bizarre though that Fokker had figured out that 50 seat market (and to a lesser extent Hawker with the 748) 20ish years prior to the Dash. Why it didn't catch on in the 1960s with the F27s? What was so different in the 80's that made the Dash the venerable aircraft it is today?

Props (hahah pun there) to P&WC as well for developing the PW100 series as well. They power all the competitors anyways so Canada can't complain

[KK7]

For the DHC-7 I've heard about "Moose". Several other guys who used to work at Time Air also called it "Porcupine" because they were always getting hit or walking into something when working around the planes.

The DHC-7 is sometimes referred to as the "Quad Otter". Afterall, its original design was based on the Twin Otter (with extensive changes of course!).