ATR

ATR 42/72

Field marks

  1. High wing, T-tail, and visible spinning propellers rule out every regional jet at a glance — the props vs. jets split is the first thing to check
  2. Boxier, stubbier fuselage than a Dash 8 Q400, with a more upswept rear fuselage behind the wing
  3. The nose landing gear retracts into an open, unfaced bay with no gear doors — a small but reliable ATR tell up close
  4. Noticeably shorter and slower-looking than a Q400, with smaller propellers turning at a visibly lower tempo

Specs

Length
27.17 m
Wingspan
27.05 m
Engines
Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127
Typical seats
40–78

Variant notes

  • The ATR 72 (27.17 m) is the more common variant worldwide and the one this entry's specs represent; the ATR 42 (22.67 m) is a noticeably shorter, older-market sibling
  • One of the most numerous turboprops flying globally — a mainstay of short regional routes on every continent
  • The -600 series (current production) added a glass cockpit and 6-blade propellers; earlier -500/-200 aircraft keep 4-blade props but look otherwise identical from a distance

Commonly confused with