Diamond Aircraft flew its newest model, the DA50 Superstar, for the first time yesterday. The five-seat, single engine aircraft flew from the company’s Wiener Neustadt, Austria base piloted by Diamond’s owner and chairman Christian Dries. 

diamond first flight 2

The aircraft was powered by a 350hp (260kW) Teledyne Continental TSIOF-550J with full authority digital control and is scheduled for certification in the second quarter of next year.

Dries says: "The DA50 Super Star will become a big hit with 350hp big bore and with variations of turbo-charged engines. We expect production start no later than January 2008.”

The DA50 will make its debut at this month’s Aero 07 general aviation show in Friedrichshafen, Germany

Source: FlightGlobal.com