Bombardier is showing customers an upgrade of the 50-seat Dash 8-300, which incorporates the Sextant Avionique glass-cockpit suite being introduced on the new 70-seat Dash 8-400. The move would be in line with the Canadian company's moves to achieve a common type-rating across its turboprop family.
The upgrade, dubbed the Dash 8-300X,has not yet been officially announced by Bombardier, but airlines are understood to have been presented with the new cockpit in recent aircraft competitions.
Senior pilots within SAS Commuter say that the new cockpit was demonstrated as part of Bombardier's bid to win the airline's requirement for a mix of 50-seat and 70-seat turboprops. Although Bombardier appears to have been selected for the 70-seat portion of the order, Saab is making aggressive moves to keep its 50-seat Saab 2000 in the fleet.
The Saab 2000 is equipped with a full electronic flight instrument (EFIS)and full-authority digital engine-control. SAS Commuter pilots would like to see any new aircraft retain these features.
Source: Flight International
