PAL Aerospace P-4

History of PAL Aerospace's P-4

The P-4 program, jointly operated by PAL Aerospace and Thales, adapts the reliable Dash 8 aircraft for maritime patrol missions. PAL Aerospace brings expertise in special mission aircraft, while Thales contributes extensive experience in military, civilian, and industrial systems. Currently, PAL Airlines operates a fleet of 18 Dash 8 aircraft, demonstrating the platform's widespread use and reliability.

In its P-4 iteration, the aircraft retains the Dash 8's fuselage design but incorporates upgrades such as a powerful turboprop engine and advanced propeller for enhanced performance. Its high-wing configuration offers excellent maneuverability, particularly at low speeds, while the angled nose improves pilot visibility. The P-4 also includes notable additions like a chin-mounted turret housing an electro-optical camera, maritime radar for data processing, and a Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD) boom for detecting underwater objects.

Displayed at Defence Services Asia 2022, the P-4 aims to attract interest from potential customers such as the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), which seeks to bolster its maritime patrol capabilities. With its adaptability, advanced features, and demonstrated reliability, the P-4 presents a promising option for enhancing surveillance and security in maritime environments.

Specification

Basics

Years of Service: 2025

Origins: Canada

Status: Program is running.

Crew: 15

Production: 1+

Manufacturer: PAL Aerospace - Canada; Thales Group - France

Roles

Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW): Can search, track and attack enemy underwater elements using special equipment and weapons on board.

Ship Defense: Equipped to find, track, and attack enemy surface elements through visual acquisition, radar support, and ship-based weapons.

Search and Rescue (SAR): Ability to locate and evacuate personnel from potentially hazardous or dangerous areas, such as downed pilots at sea.

Notable Features

Radar Capability: Houses may house (via specialized variants) radars for searching, tracking, and attacking enemy elements.

Countermeasures: Onboard electronic or physical countermeasures taken by the aircraft or pilot/crew to enhance survivability.

Multi-engine: Include two or more engines to improve survivability and/or performance.

High performance: The ability to fly and operate at higher altitudes than the average aircraft of the day.

Extended range performance: Ability to travel long distances using on-board fuel supplies.

Seaport: Able to operate over the ocean and survive certain harsh marine environments.

Depression in crew members: Support the pressurization required for crew survival at higher operating altitudes.

Crew management: In addition to the pilot, the aircraft also employs additional crew members who specialize in specific functions on the aircraft.

Closed crew room: There are partially or fully enclosed crew work areas.

Scalable: Has retractable/retractable landing gear to maintain aerodynamic efficiency.

Camera equipment: Payload supports photographic devices that provide still and/or live image/video results.

Dimensions and Weight

Length: 107.6 feet (32.80 m)

Width/span: 93.2 feet (28.40 m)

Height: 27.6 feet (8.40 m)

Cured weight: 39,286 lbs (17,820 kg)

MTOW: 60,627 lbs (27,500 kg)

Main Program Structure

Monoplane: Designed to use a single main wing main aircraft; this is the most popular arrangement of main aircraft.

Install high: The main aircraft is installed at the highest permissible position along the fuselage topline.

Straight: Floor plans involve the use of simple, straight main plan elements.

Performance

Installed: (Q400): 2 x Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC) PW150 turboprops, each producing 5,071 hp and driving a six-blade propeller unit.

Maximum speed: 416 km/h (670 km/h | 362 kn)

Cruising speed: 542 km/h (550 km/h | 297 kn)

Maximum speed difference: +75 km/h (+120 km/h | 65 kn)

Maximum: 27,001 feet (8,230 m | 5 km)

Area: 1,274 km (2,050 km | 3,797 nautical miles)