The Next Q400: Evaluating the Evolutionary Options of a Turboprop

The intent of this paper was to examine the possible future development that Bombardier Aerospace could make with regards to the DHC-8-Q400 turboprop. The venerable Q400 is a proven design that saw great success through the 2000’s and must now either be upgraded or replaced in order for Bombardier to remain competitive. Three proposals were examined from a high level perspective: 1. A shortened design of the Q400; 2. An extension of the Q400 design; Each proposal was reviewed on the basis of its merits in development cost, infrastructure requirements, technical requirements, and market demand for the particular configuration. Further to this, a survey of media reports on the market desire for new turboprop acquisition and competitive airframe developers design forecast was carried out. Based on this evaluation, the extended design of the base Q400 was selected to be the best candidate for Bombardier to develop and therefore, remain successful in the aircraft development market.