Dash 7 - STOL capabilities turboprop

(Photo: Udo K. Haafke.)

The Norwegian airline Wideroe startet its business flying mail in small one engine seaplanes. Eventually the company grew, utilising bigger planes like the Twin Otter and later the de Havilland DHC-7. This four engine green machine (in those days anyway) was a common and welcomed sight in many small communities in Norway, specially in the north. Operating from short runways (about 2,500 feet) in mountainous areas, the extra power of the four engines was necessary.




The de Havilland Canada DHC-7, more commonly known as the Dash 7, is a remarkable airplane when it comes to STOL (Short Take Off and Landing) capabilities. It was first made in 1975 and the last airplane came out of production in 1988. The oversized propellers, rotating slower than other aircrafts, made it a relatively quiet propeller airplane. In many aspects, the Dash 7 was a larger version of the two engined Twin Otter. The main differences was size, two more engines and a pressurized cabin. The four engines provided extra lift at low speeds, due to two engines on each wing, with propellers blowing air over the whole span of the wing. At landing, when put into reverse, the same propellers slowed the airplane down quickly.

Source: Wikipedia