Diamond DA42
Encyclopedia
Diamond Aircraft Industries
Diamond Aircraft Industries is an Austrian-based manufacturer of general aviation aircraft and motor gliders, which also has a large manufacturing facility in London, Ontario, Canada...
. Its airframe is molded largely of composite material
Composite material
Composite materials, often shortened to composites or called composition materials, are engineered or naturally occurring materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct at the macroscopic or...
s.
Development
The DA42 Twin Star was certified in Europe in 2004 and in the United States in 2005.The airplane is made of carbon composite material. It is equipped with a Garmin G1000
Garmin G1000
The Garmin G1000 is an integrated flight instrument system manufactured by Garmin typically composed of two display units, one serving as a primary flight display, and one as a multi-function display...
glass cockpit. (A proof-of-concept version powered by two 180 hp Lycoming IO-360 engines also exists.)
The DA42 Twin Star was the first diesel-powered fixed-wing aircraft
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
to make a non-stop crossing of the North Atlantic, in 12.5 hours, with an average fuel consumption of 5.74 gallons per hour (2.87 gallons per hour per engine).
In June 2010 a DA42 powered by Austro AE300 engines became the first aircraft to be publicly flown on algae-derived jet fuel.
Powerplants
The DA42 was originally powered by two ThielertThielert
Thielert AG is a German financial holding company which has owned engine development and manufacturing companies. It is headquartered in Hamburg. Companies owned were Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH with sites in Lichtenstein, Saxony and Altenburg, Thuringia and Superior Air Parts, Inc. in Dallas,...
Centurion 1.7 diesel engines. Based on production Daimler Mercedes TDI automotive engines, Centurion aerodiesels are modified with propeller reduction drives and redundant hardware specific to aeronautical use. These engines can operate on diesel fuel, but according to TAE Centurion, Thielert's aircraft engine subsidiary, the company has elected to license the engines for jet fuel use only. In the United States, Jet-A or Jet-A1 fuel (or mixture) is used. A significant percentage of DA42s are used in flight training, where the aircraft is about 30% to 40% more fuel efficient than its main competitor, the Piper PA-44 Seminole
Piper PA-44 Seminole
|-Related content:Related development* Piper CherokeeComparable aircraft* Beechcraft Duchess* Gulfstream American GA-7 Cougar-External links:*...
, which uses 180 hp Lycoming engines to deliver similar cruise speeds and payloads.
Thielert Aircraft Engines ended its production of the 1.7 L. Centurion engines (designated as TAE 125-01 Centurion 1.7) in favour of a new 2.0 L. (TAE 125-02-99) engine. Diamond began installing this new 2.0 L. engine in early 2007. Although engine displacement increased, it was de-rated to produce the same horsepower (135) and torque (302 ft·lbf.) as the 1.7 L. engine.
In late 2007, Diamond aircraft announced it would begin building and installing its own aerodiesels, through a subsidiary, Austro Engine GmbH, and with other partners that included Mercedes Benz Technologies. The use of Thielert engines on the DA42 came into question due to Thielert filing for insolvency in April 2008.
Due to the insolvency of Thielert and the decisions of the insolvency administrator, including cancelling warranty support and the prorating of time-between-overhaul for the Thielert engines that power the DA42, Diamond announced in July 2008 that production of the DA42 was suspended. At the time production was suspended the DA42 was reported to have 80 percent of the piston twin market.
In March 2009 Diamond achieved EASA certification for the Austro Engine AE 300 and returned the DA42 to production as the DA42 NG. The new engine produces 20% more power, while giving better fuel economy than the Thielert engines and results in a higher gross weight and increased performance. The first Austro-powered DA42 was delivered to a customer in Sweden in April 2009, with the first US customer aircraft expected in mid-2010. The Austro-powered DA42 NG received FAA certification on 9 April 2010.
Variants
- Production aircraft built in Austria and Canada
DA42 M
- Special Mission variant built in Austria, modification from standard DA42 and new production.
DA42 L360
- Lycoming IO-360 180 hp equipped version that will use 100LLAvgasAvgas is an aviation fuel used to power piston-engine aircraft. Avgas is distinguished from mogas , which is the everyday gasoline used in cars and some non-commercial light aircraft...
fuel instead of Jet-AJet fuelJet fuel is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It is clear to straw-colored in appearance. The most commonly used fuels for commercial aviation are Jet A and Jet A-1 which are produced to a standardized international specification...
. Customer deliveries are forecast for early 2009 with an initial price of USD$599,500. This model is intended for the North American flight training market.
DA42 NG
- Austro Engine AE 300 170 hp equipped version. EASAEuropean Aviation Safety AgencyThe European Aviation Safety Agency is an agency of the European Union with offices in Cologne, Germany, which has been given regulatory and executive tasks in the field of civilian aviation safety. It was created on 15 July 2002, and it reached full functionality in 2008, taking over functions...
certified March 2009; FAAFederal Aviation AdministrationThe Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
certified April 2010.
DA42 MPP
- UK Ministry of DefenceMinistry of Defence (United Kingdom)The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
specified DA42 MPP variant for surveillance systems project, converted by DO Systems. Two ordered in June 2008.
Dominator II
- Aeronautics Defense Systems LtdAeronautics Defense Systems LtdAeronautics Defense Systems Ltd. operates from its headquarters in Yavne, Center District, Israel, specializing in providing comprehensive defence solutions.-UAV:*Dominator UAV*Aerostar UAV*Aerolight UAV...
developed UAVUnmanned aerial vehicleAn unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
version of the DA42, designated as the Aeronautics Defense Dominator and first flown in July 2009. Has an endurance of 28 hours with a 900 lb (408 kg) payload and speed of 75-190 knots (140-354 km/h) to a maximum altitude of 30000 ft (9,144 m).
Civil operators
The DA42 is mainly operated by flying clubs, flight training schools and some airborne survey operators.Military operators
:- Royal Thai Air ForceRoyal Thai Air ForceThe Royal Thai Air Force or RTAF is the air force of the Kingdom of Thailand. Since its establishment in 1913, as one of the earliest air forces of Asia, the Royal Thai Air Force had engaged in many major and minor battles. During the Vietnam war era, the air force has been developed with USAF-aid...
- 6 on order. Delivery in mid 2009.
:
- Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
- 2 DA-42MPP operated in 2008 and 2009 in surveillance role.
Specifications (DA42 Twin Star)
See also
External links
- Press Release on Atlantic crossing
- Article in AOPA Pilot Magazine
- EU Airworthiness Directive 2007-0182 An Airworthiness Directive was issued to resolve a reliability problem with the Theilert Engines, following a dual-engine failure.
- Diamond Airborne Sensing Special purpose options are available for survey missions.
- European Aviation Safety Agency Type Certificate Data Sheet