The Il-114-300 and Dash 8-400 were created for the same task – regional transportation. Both aircraft are designed to operate on short and medium-haul routes but use different approaches.
The head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Anton Alikhanov, stated that the Il-114-300 surpassed foreign counterparts in key flight performance characteristics. "Pervyy Tekhnicheskiy" decided to check how the domestic aircraft compares to its Canadian competitor in a direct comparison.
Capacity and Payload
The Il-114-300 is designed for 64 passengers in standard configuration and up to 68 people in maximum configuration. The maximum commercial payload reaches about 6.8 tons.
The Dash 8-400 is noticeably more spacious – the standard configuration provides for 82 passengers, and in some cabin variants, up to 90. The maximum payload is about 8.4 tons – here the Canadian aircraft proved stronger.
Speed
The Il-114-300 develops a cruising speed of about 450 km/h. The Dash 8-400 can fly at speeds up to 667 km/h.
On routes several hundred kilometers long, the difference becomes especially noticeable: the Q400 allows passengers to be delivered to their destination faster – a second point in its favor.
Range
The Il-114-300 with maximum passenger load is designed for approximately 1400 km. With a smaller commercial load, the range can be significantly greater.
The Dash 8-400 has a range with full passenger load of about 2040 km. This gives the Canadian aircraft a significantly greater margin when operating on extended routes – the score becomes large.
Takeoff and Landing
Here, the Il-114-300 confidently takes the advantage. The Russian aircraft has a declared takeoff run length of about 750–790 m, which allows it to operate from relatively short airfields.
The Dash 8-400 also boasts good takeoff and landing characteristics. At maximum takeoff weight, it requires about 1000 m of takeoff distance under standard conditions – a victory for the Il-114-300.
Engines
The Il-114-300 is equipped with two TV7-117ST-01 engines. The maximum takeoff power of each engine reaches 3100 hp. The Dash 8-400 is equipped with two PW150A engines, each with approximately 5071 hp in takeoff mode.
In terms of fuel efficiency, the Canadian engine has extensive operational statistics, while the TV7-117ST-01 is only just accumulating them on the new Il-114-300 – we award a point to the Dash 8-400.
Final score – 4:1 in favor of the Dash 8-400.
The Canadian aircraft wins in terms of capacity, speed, and range, and also has a more mature power plant. The Il-114-300 takes its main advantage where it was designed to be used: short runways and regional airfields.