The 146-200 stretches the 146-100 fuselage by five frame pitches — some 2.4 metres — and adds a third more underfloor hold volume, leaving wing and powerplant untouched. It made its maiden flight on 1 August 1982 and the British authority awarded its type certificate on 4 February 1983. This was the version the market actually wanted: British Aerospace had forecast that the 146-100 would sell better, but operators went for the slightly larger cabin, and with 113 aircraft the -200 is the most numerous variant in the family. It gave rise to the -200QT Quiet Trader freighter and the -200QC Quick Change convertible, and most of the North American air-tanker conversions are built on this airframe. Its certified maximum take-off weight reaches 42,184 kilograms.