16 Facts About Dornier 328

Dornier 328 program was initially started while Dornier was still owned by Deutsche Aerospace.

On 14 December 1992, one of the Dornier 328 prototypes suffered a near-catastrophic in-flight propeller failure when all six propeller blades on one engine detached before puncturing the fuselage; the subsequent temporary loss of control caused the aircraft to roll 280° and descend 5,000 feet before control was recovered.

The Dornier 328 was launched into the market during a period of large numbers of competing turboprop aircraft, as well as increasing competition from newly launched regional jets, which were becoming increasingly popular during the early 1990s.

The Dornier 328 had the advantages of being both quieter and faster than many of its rivals, but this did not ensure its commercial success.

The latter half of the Dornier 328 program took place during a recession, which curtailed demand for new aircraft from operators.

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The newly combined Fairchild Dornier company emerged as the third-largest regional aircraft manufacturer in the world, and viewed the 328 as being both a key product in its lineup and the basis for a future family of aircraft.

Fairchild Dornier 328 sought to develop a stretched version, designated as the Dornier 328 428JET, and a dedicated freighter model.

Additionally, Farchild Dornier 328 developed a larger aircraft, the Fairchild Dornier 328 728 family.

Dornier 328 signed a MoU with the federal authorities of Germany, and State of Saxony ministries.

Dornier 328 is a twin-turboprop engined, regional aircraft, principally designed for short-haul passenger operators; Deutsche Aerospace often promoted the type as being a "third-generation airliner".

The fuselage of the Dornier 328 employs an unusual streamlined shape, having been optimised for high cruising speeds; the aircraft is capable of higher cruise and approach speeds than most turboprop-powered aircraft, which allows it to be more readily slotted around jetliners during landing approaches.

The Dornier 328 is capable of operations from semiprepared airstrips and rough runways, incorporating features such as its retractable landing gear being equipped with high-floatation tyres and steerable nose gear and a gravel guard.

Fuselage of Dornier 328 allows for a comfortable three-abreast, airline-style seating arrangement to be used, as well as a dense, four-abreast configuration to accommodate greater passenger numbers, of which it is able to carry a maximum of 27.

The 328 is pressurized, a first for Dornier-built aircraft, which was implemented to achieve a higher level of passenger comfort; the passenger cabin is designed to be more akin to those of much larger passenger aircraft.

The straightforward construction techniques of the Dornier 228 were reused for the 328, despite making increased use of composite materials in areas such as the rear fuselage and empennage.

Twin-crew glass cockpit of the Dornier 328 is equipped with a Honeywell Primus 2000 avionics suite, and the cockpit has an electronic flight instrument system comprising five 20 x 17.