![]() One presumes the ideal second airplane would be a DA50, a DA42 Twin Star or maybe, just maybe … a D-JET. (And doubtless there were, and are, customers for whom the DA40 was all the airplane they’d ever want or need.) But with a higher-end single in the offing, Diamond has now started talking about the DA40 as the ideal first airplane. After all, before the launch of the bigger, faster and more powerful DA50, the DA40 was the top of the Diamond single-engine lineup. It’s no longer selling the four-seater as an ideal all-around airplane, though one can see why it adopted that stance. It’s interesting to note that Diamond has come up with a new way of looking at the XLS-at least a new way of talking about it-and, by extension, a new perspective on the DA40 platform. Despite the DA40 occupying a sort of middle ground between more utilitarian four-seaters like the Cessna Skyhawk and faster, more powerful ones, like the Cirrus SR22, Diamond Star sales were strong and steady from the start. And while the original DA40 wasn’t fast-we almost got 140 knots true out of it at some altitude and power setting-it was an economical new family airplane that could be put to good use on regular cross-country trips of reasonable distance.Īnd the market agreed. I cruised in and around the peaks of the nearby Austrian Alps in it, wiggling wings at the lederhosen-clad hikers on the trails below and just generally having a blast. Moreover, the DA40’s high-aspect ratio wing, its comfy interior (with plenty of room both in front and in back) and its pleasing handling characteristics made it a really fun airplane to fly. Diamond had succeeded in creating a pretty capable airplane. ![]() One flight was enough to convince me that my doubts were groundless. The four-seater, with its fancy gull-wing style doors, big windows and slender sailplane wing sure looked nice, but I was wondering if the 180 hp Lycoming powering it would provide enough juice to make the ’40 a desirable basic four-seater. I went to the Diamond factory in Austria back then to fly and photograph the Diamond Star, though I have to admit that based on my experience coaxing the Katana (since improved with more power) out of ground effect, I didn’t really know what to expect. **** It’s been almost 10 years since Austrian manufacturer Diamond Aircraft launched its all-composite four-seater, the DA40 Diamond Star, as a follow-on to its successful but payload-limited Katana two-seat trainer.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |