Dash 7

PILOT'S

DASH 7DHC7DHC 7DE HAVILLAND CANADATURBOPROP

3.4/5 (157)

The de Havilland Canada DHC-7 is perhaps one of the most graceful and iconic 4 engine turboprops ever built, and is most often referred to as the Dash 7. A significant and unique feature of the Dash 7 is the short take-off and landing (STOL) capability and performance that it was specifically designed for.

During the 1960s de Havilland Canada saw a market niche for a regional airliner that would be able to serve smaller airports located close to city centres and their immediate vicinity, as well as the more remote airports that typically had unpaved runways with little to no modern airport infrastructure. Originally designed as a 40-passenger regional airliner with a very short range, the Dash 7 typically evolved into much more than that from the original drawing board, with a range just short of 1300 km and the ability to take-off and land, fully loaded, from runways just under 700m (2,000 feet), paved or unpaved.

Updated with modern day avionics, such as the Garmin GNS 530 and GTN 750, and still flown today in that GPS configuration by the likes of Air Kenya and Air Tindi, the Dash 7 offers a very unique flying experience. The unusual mix of steam gauges with modern GPS equipment allows precise navigation to even the most remote airfields via GPS, with the absolutely unique STOL capability of the Dash 7 offering access to short, unpaved runways that are often surrounded by rugged terrain and clearly inaccesible to other aircraft of similar capacity and size.

The PILOT'S Dash 7 has been designed from the ground up for MSFS and fully supports the TDS GTNXi, PMS50 GTN and GNS 530 GPS units in the cockpit, with an authentic steam gauge only variant also included.

FEATURES

  • Developed from the ground-up for MSFS
  • Full support to integrate the TDS GTNXi, PMS50 GTN and GNS 530 GPS units into the cockpit
  • Original steam gauge variant also included
  • Authentic and realistic gauges
  • 4k Textures
  • For Xbox users please note that due to hardware limitations of the default Xbox controller, a minimum setup with a mouse is required for the Xbox version to manage condition lever assignments correctly, a full joystick setup is recommended

The DHC-7, commonly known as the Dash 7, is a 4-engine short take-off and landing (STOL)-capable regional airliner and cargo hauler produced by de Havilland Canada. The aircraft took its maiden flight on March 27, 1975 and was introduced into commercial service on February 3, 1978. 113 Dash 7s were manufactured during a production run that spanned from 1975 to 1988.

The aircraft served airlines and governments throughout the world, and many remaining flying. Crewed by two, it can carry up to 50 passengers or 11,300 pounds of cargo. The Dash 7 is known as a powerful, capable aircraft that can easily make its way into and out of short field airstrips, notably those in the mountains.

The DHC-7 is 80 feet, 8 inches long, features a T-tail empennage, and a high-mounted main wing with a span of 93 feet. The main wing is enhanced with an aerodynamic lift augmentation system consisting of double-slotted flaps and outboard spoilers to optimize its STOL performance.

The aircraft is powered by four Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-50 turboprop engines that each produce up to 1,120 horsepower and turn 4-blade, constant-speed, fully-reversible propellers. The DHC-7 can take-off and land, fully loaded, in less than 2,000 feet of runway roll. It climbs at a rate of 1,120 feet per minute, has a service ceiling of 21,000 feet, a range of 790 miles, and it cruises at 265 miles per hour.

The de Havilland Canada DHC-7 is a classic aircraft that opened a number of routes that other aircraft of its size simply could not fly. Its raw power and efficient wing and aerodynamic systems allow aviators to fly into, and then launch out of, some of the world’s most challenging airfields, and do so with utmost confidence and control.

Specifications

SPEEDCruise: 230 knots, Max: 235 knots
CEILINGTypically around 21,000 ft
TYPICAL RANGE1,280 km / 690 nmi
LENGTH24.58 m (80 ft 8 in)
WINGSPAN28.35 m (93 ft)
HEIGHT7.98 m (26 ft 2 in)
TAKEOFF670 m (2,200 ft)
MAX WEIGHT19,967 kg (44,020 lb)
MAX TAKEOFF WEIGHT19,958 kg (44,000 lb)
FUEL CAPACITY5,600 l (1,480 USg)
ENGINEPratt & Whitney PT6A-50 Turboprop
COCKPIT CREW2