Austria's Diamond Aircraft launched the certification campaign for its DART-450 single-engined turboprop on 17 May, when the two-seat civilian and military reconnaissance trainer made a 60min maiden sortie from the airframer’s Wiener Neustadt base.
“We achieved our target from the first drawings to the first flight in one year,” says Diamond’s chief designer, Clemens Knappert: “I’m already excited about what comes next.”
The DART-450 is described by Diamond as the world’s first all carbon-fibre, tandem two-seat trainer with a sidestick and pneumatic ejection seats. The aircraft is powered by a Motor Sich AI-450S engine, driving a five-blade MT propeller.
The same systems feature on Diamond’s in-development DA50-JP7, a five-seat passenger and utility aircraft scheduled for certification in 2018.
The AL-450S has a dual-channel FADEC system and can deliver up to 500shp (372kW), says the airframer.
The Dart-450 is projected to have a top speed of 250kt (463km/h) and an endurance of up to 8h. Its aerobatic design allows it to manoeuvre between +7g and -5g, says Diamond.
Source: Flight International