Dornier 328

The Dornier 328 is a turboprop-powered commuter airliner, initially produced by the German company Dornier Luftfahrt and later, after the firm was acquired in 1996 by Fairchild Aircraft, by Fairchild Dornier at Oberpfaffenhofen. The programme began while Dornier was still owned by Deutsche Aerospace, after 1984 market research showed a wish for a fast, quiet and easy-to-maintain commuter airliner of about 30 seats, with projected sales of at least 400. The first prototype made its maiden flight on 6 December 1991 and a second prototype followed on 4 June 1992. A jet-powered version, the Fairchild Dornier 328JET, was also produced. The Dornier name was later bought by Airbus, while the type certificate has passed through a series of other investors.