2.0s in da42 TDi

[GLDAS]

http://www.diamond-air.at/news_detail+M50b924d6fd8.html

Diamond will be installing 2.0s motors (155 hp) in place of 2.0 and 1.7. Approval in Europe is expected mid summer and 6 plus months in North America.

WAAS and GFC700 will also be available.

This is very good need for 1.7 and 2.0 owners.

-Dan
Dan@greatlakesdiamond.com

[Aart]

I have to admit that this comes out of the blue for me.
Good move by Diamond to offer options for their clients, kudos..
Dan, there must be data available on the performance. Could you provide them?
Also, is this the mod that was being developed by John in the UK?

[GLDAS]

We should have hard numbers soon on performance as DAI-A is actively working on the certification. Weight will be unchanged as will be the props. There will be some changes in the cooling system and heat exchangers to evacuate the additional heat. Big boost with power will be takeoff, single and twin engine climb, but I was told cruise is significantly better. Standby for more. I did paste a link to DAI-A site, but my little iPhone client doesn't show it. If it is not present, I can ail it to someone else to post with a real client.

The certification is strictly DAI. and Continental, with no 3rd party STC

-Dan
Dan@greatlakesdiamond.com

[carym]

http://www.diamond-air.at/news_detail+M50b924d6fd8.html

Diamond will be installing 2.0s motors (155 hp) in place of 2.0 and 1.7. Approval in Europe is expected mid summer and 6 plus months in North America.

WAAS and GFC700 will also be available.

This is very good need for 1.7 and 2.0 owners.

-Dan
Dan@greatlakesdiamond.com

Dan,
I got the letter yesterday and was very pleasantly surprised. The increased power with essentially no weight change makes this almost a no brainer (but we'll see about pricing in the US).

Do you have any more info about WAAS? Upgrading to a GFC700 is just way too expensive for me to consider, so will we be able to get WAAS without the GFC700, ie, with the KAP140?

[hkavasch]

I wonder if this is not a first signal, that the Austro Engines will have no future...

[Keith M]

I wonder if this is not a first signal, that the Austro Engines will have no future...

Shhhh! Diamond must have thought long and hard about the message this would give about the Austro, so don't give them any reason to backtrack from their excellent decision.

[GLDAS]

Cary, WAAS is $25,500 for a KAP140 NG conversion. I would expect it to be about the same for this plane as well. GFC700 itself is $60k ish.

I do not read this as backing away from the AE300, and there are no plans I am aware of for resumption of continental powered DA42s. We will have to see how the performance shakes out, but remember: the -VI will way out-perform the 2.0s plane, and the operating economics (intervals, replacement parts, etc) for the AE300 are about 20% less.

In US terms, what I foresee is a diverse DA42 market with clean 2.0 planes in the mid $300's, 2.0s planes with Gfc700 and WAAS in the high 400s, NG conversions upwards to high 600s, and -VI conversions in the mid 700s and up. Choice is good!

-Dan
Dan@greatlakesdiamond.com

[NickBudd]

Hate to be a party pooper, but I think this spells the end of both the Austro 300 and the DA42. Too bad, but Diamond's strong suit has been design and marketing, so maybe they have in mind a bigger and faster composite twin suitable for commercial use. Diamond must be losing money on each DA42 so they are trying to maximize aftermarket opportunities while deciding on a new product (and rounding up investors).

[Antoine]

Oh come on Nick! Think positive!

I think I can read the following:

Now that Centurion = Continental, Diamond can no longer question the long term prospects of the engine. So they smartly gave up trying to move everyone to AE300 and are letting owners and buyers make the choices AND STAY ON BOARD. Good thing!

Now that the DA42-VI is delivering stellar performance, there is no way any Thielert-powered plane can take the crown from it (and its engines) - no worries about cannibalism.

I like Dan's market analysis: a Diamond twin in every price range from 350 to 1000 K USD.
The DA52 (?) can take it from there. This, by the way, is exactly what Diamond should do throughout their product line... But that's a different thread.

I would be very surprised if Diamond would be losing money on new 42's at the current pricing (not to mention the military and aerial sensing versions).
Keep in mind also that they MUST sell lots of AE300 to break even on their € 50 Million investment. So I see no reason why they should drop the 42. Not anymore.

So wait and see, but I have a big smile and really like this decision to "re-adopt" the 2.0s. I would have an even bigger smile if DAI made a DA42-VII with this engine but that won't happen for obvious reasons.

[CFIDave]

While pricing has not yet been revealed, I agree that this appears to be great news for DA42-TDI customers.

The Austro still has 2 major advantages over the 2.0S engine:

1. Austros can be overhauled at 1500 hours at a cost of about $20K per engine. In contrast, the 2.0S can't be overhauled and must be replaced at a cost of at least $60K per engine. For a twin-engined DA42 that's an $80K+ difference; spread over 1500 hours this is at least a $53/hour cost advantage for the Austros.

2. Austros have an engine "critical altitude" of around 12,000 feet compared to only 6000 feet for the 2.0S engine (assuming its critical altitude is similar to that of the 1.7 or 2.0 Thielert engines.) This greatly magnifies the power difference between Austro and 2.0S engines at higher altitudes -- with a hp difference of significantly more than the 168 hp vs. 155 hp produced below 6000 feet.

(The "critical altitude" for a turbocharged engine is the highest altitude at which the engine can produce full power. Above that altitude power falls off with altitude in the same way that power falls off with altitude in a normally-aspirated aircraft engine above sea level.)