IATA D38ICAO D328

Fairchild Dornier Do.328

Fairchild

TravelerPulse profile

German regional turboprop serving short-haul routes efficiently.

First flight

1991

Category

Regional turboprop

Seating

Range

1,310 km

Engines

Two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW119B turboprops

Status

In service

The Fairchild Dornier Do 328 is a regional turboprop aircraft developed by Dornier Luftfahrt GmbH in Germany. It was designed to serve short-haul and regional routes with a pressurized cabin offering passenger comfort unusual for its class. The aircraft features an advanced supercritical wing and entered service in the early 1990s. The Do 328 seats up to 32 passengers and is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW119B turboprop engines. It was produced initially by Dornier, then continued under Fairchild Dornier following a partnership, and later under AvCraft Aviation after Fairchild Dornier's insolvency in 2002. A jet-powered variant, the Do 328JET (328-300), was also developed using AlliedSignal (Honeywell) turbofan engines, offering improved speed and performance on the same airframe. Production of both variants has ceased, but examples remain in regional service worldwide.

Notable operators

Operators have included Air Alps, Cirrus Airlines, and various regional carriers in Europe and North America.

Notable facts

›First flew on 6 December 1991.
›Features a supercritical wing design for improved aerodynamic efficiency.
›A jet variant, the Do 328JET, was powered by two Honeywell TFE731 turbofan engines.
›Fairchild Dornier filed for insolvency in 2002, ending new production.
›The aircraft was notable for its wide, pressurized cabin relative to its size class.