Diamond Aircraft has flown its DA42 Twinstar for the first time with the landing gear retracted, as it prepares the diesel twin for certification in the fourth quarter of this year.
"This programme milestone has expanded significantly the flight envelope of the first retractable gear aircraft in our fleet," says Michael Feinig, managing director at Vienna, Austria-based Diamond. He adds: "With the landing gear retracted and at approximately 15% below maximum gross weight, the climb performance exceeded 2,000ft/min [10m/s] at 90kt [167km/h]. Cruise climb at 110kt yielded a climb performance of 1,700ft/min. At 12,000ft, under ISA conditions a maximum speed of 200kt was achieved," says Feinig.
European certification of the DA42 powered by a Thielert Aircraft Engines 99kW (135hp) Centurion 1.7 diesel is set for year-end, with first deliveries to follow in the first quarter of next year, coinciding with US certification. Feinig says: "We have 95 orders now and by the time we start production we anticipate this number to be close to 200." North American deliveries of the c360,000 ($389,000) aircraft are projected for mid-2004. Feinig says: "We expect the DA42 will be popular in the USA as there is no comparable piston twin available."
Source: Flight International
