There is a Bombardier Q400 Cargo Freighter that is available as a conversion kit from Cascade Aerospace. Any Bombardier Q400 can be converted to a cargo freighter. The official name for the Q400 Freighter is the Bombardier Q400-PF or package freighter. It was launched by and order from Nord-Flyg of Sweden on July 17, 2008. The kit can be installed by Cascade Aerospace or Cascade can send the kit to another maintenance provider to do the modifications. The Q400 package freighter does not come ready directly from Bombardier and requires the kit to be converted. The kit comes with everything need to install the modification. Cascade Aerospace provides full support for the aircraft.

The following things are modified in the Q400 cargo freighter:

  • Parts for a new floor suspension and structure
  • New floor boards for cargo
  • Floor protection panels
  • Vertical net attachments
  • Liner supports, panels and close-out
  • Ventilation ducts and shut-off
  • Smoke detection system
  • Lighting system for the Cargo area
  • Fire barrier at the front
  • Wiring harnesses, circuit breakers and switches
  • 8 9G restraint / vertical nets
  • Baggage door is modified to allow better clearance.
  • Front lavatory is kept for the crew.

Bombardier Q400 Cargo Freighter Layout Diagram

Bombardier Q400 Cargo Freighter Specifications & Dimensions

  • Cargo Payload: 19,800 pounds or 8,980 kilograms (with 58,000 pounds max zero fuel weight)
  • Usable Volume: 2,730 cubic feet or 77 cubic meters

Dimensions

  • Cabin / Interior Width: 97 inches or 2.46 meters
  • Cabin / Interior Height: 74 inches or 1.88 meters
  • Floor Width: 80 inches
  • Usable Cabin / Interior Length 784.5 inches or 19.9 meters

The Q400-PF can carry perishable items because the ventilation system is modified so the climate can be controlled in the cargo area.

Bombardier Q400 Package Freighter Interior

Above Q400 cargo interior photo copyright Cascade Aerospace. Used under the fair use provision.

Certification

The Bombardier Q400 Cargo Freighter is certified under a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) number SA08-91 from Transport Canada and can be transferred to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It has also be certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), EASA.IM.A.S.02954.

The Q400 Freighter is based on the Q400-MR tanker that Cascade developed.

Bombardier Q400 Combi Freighter

On July 15, 2014 Bombardier launched the Combi version of the Bombardier Q400. This Combi version is a split between passenger seats and cargo space. There are various configurations for the Q400 Combi Freighter. It can carry up to 8,200 pounds of cargo and up to 1,150 cubic feet of cargo volume and can accommodate 50 passengers at a 32 inch seat pitch. The cargo area is a Class C cargo compartment. It is possible that an airline like Horizon Air / Alaska Airlines would be interested in this Combi for the Alaska region flying.

To Learn more about the Bombardier Q400 visit the other pages here on the site.

Other Names for the Bombardier Q400 Cargo Freighter
There are other names for the Bombardier Q400 aircraft. The aircraft has diffrent names due to changes in the name for the airplane and other names used for other purposes. Here are the following names:

  • Bombardier Q400 NextGen Cargo Freighter: This refers to the NextGen name that was given to newer Q400s that have interior upgrades.
  • Bombardier DH4 Cargo Freighter: "DH4" is the Q400s IATA code that is primarily used by airlines to identify the aircraft.
  • Bombardier DH8D Cargo Freighter: "DH8D" is the ICAO code for the airplane and is used by airlines, air traffic control and others. To learn more about this name visit the DH8D aircraft page.
  • De Havilland Canada DHC-8-400 Cargo Freighter: This is the model name for the turboprop. De Havilland was the previous division of Bombardier that built the aircraft. The De Havilland name is no longer used in marketing by Bombardier, so it is called the Cargo Freighter Bombardier DHC-8-400. DHC-8-400 is the official model name for the turboprop that is used by aviation regulators to identify the aircraft.
  • De Havilland Dash-8-400 Cargo Freighter: the Dash-8-400 name is the name that was previously given to the aircraft by Bombardier. The Q400 was apart of the Dash-8 series program of turboprops. Bombardier then decided to change the name of those aircraft to the Q series turboprops and the Dash-8-400 became the Bombardier Q400. More on the Dash-8-400 name is found here.