DA42

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rwatters23

DA42

Post by rwatters23 »

I'm currently flying an Eclipse but our mission has changed and I'm looking for a safe twin that will cost less to own and operate. To me "safe" in the context of a twin engine piston is one without a tendency to auger in if an engine quits on takeoff. I did a demo of a DA42 when they first came out and was impressed with their single engine behavior, though we just did a power down and restart at altitude.

How do they train pilots for engine failure on takeoff? (i.e. do they pull power back completely) Is the plane easy to control with one engine on take-off? (my comparison is a Cessna 310 which is really horrible on one engine)

I suspect I'm not interested in a new aircraft but there seem to be a couple of either planes on the market with Austro engines. What is the TBO of the AE 300 and what is the maintenance schedule? (i.e. gearboxes, and anything else)

I live close to Mobile (where TCM is located) and I've been reading about some of their progress with the Centurion 2.0. Is a 2.0 plane viable or are they still replacing engines at 2000 hours? I'd probably rather have a TCM engine just because maintenance is bound to be significantly easier, but I really don't want to live with a mechanic.

Also what are real world cruise speeds at 6-8,000 ft? I don't think I want to go back to high altitudes in an unpressurized plane. After I started in a DA40 I moved to a Columbia 400 and found that flying 18-20000 ft was very tiring. I'd really like to be able to fly around 175 knots but don't know if that's realistic.
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DavidS
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Re: DA42

Post by DavidS »

Folks with first-hand knowledge will join in soon (check out the da42 forum for some great posts) but this may give you a preview:

http://www.greatlakesdiamond.com/how-fast-is-a-da42/
http://www.greatlakesdiamond.com/hourly ... -for-da42/

POH for each of the models can be found here:
http://support.diamond-air.at/techpubs+ ... 73ab0.html

You can hit the speeds you're wanting in a VI or (slightly below) in a NG according to the POH. (AE300 engines)

I think TBO's bunk (but you don't have a choice with Centurian gearboxes) and only plan on overhauling my da40 when the engine tells me it's ready, but your mileage may vary. I don't know if the Austro gearboxes have an overhaul requirement, but the AMM (at the technical publications link) would have that. Chapter 5 if it's like the da40 AMM.
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Noah
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Re: DA42

Post by Noah »

DavidS, those are really great links. Thanks for sharing!
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CFIDave
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Re: DA42

Post by CFIDave »

rwatters23:
I own a DA42-VI, have flight instructed in the DA42, and have flown all of the variants.

You've asked a whole lot of really great questions about the DA42 -- to answer them all here would almost require writing a book.

Since this website's private messaging feature doesn't work on this public forum, if you can post an email address I'll arrange to give you a phone call to discuss.
- Dave
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Former DA40XLS, DA42-VI, and DA62 owner
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Colin
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Re: DA42

Post by Colin »

Someone DID write a book!

https://itunes.apple.com/en/book/concis ... l=pl&mt=13

I recommend that. It will answer a lot of your questions.
Colin Summers, PP Multi-Engine IFR, ~3,000hrs
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http://www.flyingsummers.com
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carym
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Re: DA42

Post by carym »

rwatters23 wrote: I live close to Mobile (where TCM is located) and I've been reading about some of their progress with the Centurion 2.0. Is a 2.0 plane viable or are they still replacing engines at 2000 hours? I'd probably rather have a TCM engine just because maintenance is bound to be significantly easier, but I really don't want to live with a mechanic.
I think you may be under a small misconception. While TCM "owns" Centurion, the engines still must be worked on by Centurion approved mechanics and all parts (to date) have to come from Germany. The shipping back and forth alone adds considerable costs. I had hoped that when TCM bought Centurion that shipping and parts availability would improved, but that hasn't happened.
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rwatters23

Re: DA42

Post by rwatters23 »

I'm surprised that Continental hasn't got their US distribution of parts under control; the idea of shipping things back and forth to Germany is ridiculous. i remember the Theilert crisis around 2008 ( I had a DA40 from 2005 to 2008) and the feeling that many owners had of being abandoned by Diamond. I just found out that the warranty on a new Diamond is only two years - I assume that's on the whole plane and it is unacceptably short for the diesels. I can't imagine buying a new Diamond with anything less than five years on the diesel engine.
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Re: DA42

Post by CFIDave »

Just remember that the Austro is really a Mercedes diesel with aviation accessories -- an engine of which more than 1 million have been installed in A-class and B-class Mercedes autos -- with all the statistical quality control that could never be applied to a tiny number of hand-built Lycoming or Continental avgas engines.

So I'm far more relaxed about flying behind Austro engines in my DA42 than I was behind the Lycoming in my DA40 (and Lycoming IO-360s have proven to be among the most reliable avgas engines). When's the last time your car engine unexpectedly quit on you?
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Rwatters23

Re: DA42

Post by Rwatters23 »

Lol, my wife had a Mercedes diesel that quit on her three times - electronic faults. Finally traded it for a gas engine.
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Re: DA42

Post by Kai »

Rwatters23 wrote:Lol, my wife had a Mercedes diesel that quit on her three times - electronic faults. Finally traded it for a gas engine.
My gf has had her B180 (which is the same motor block as the Austro) and after 180,000 kms and 7 years of use since new, it has never had the slightest failure. Now, personal experiences as we can see are not really useful to judge on the overall reliability of an engine. Needless to say that also the wiring and electronic ignition on an aircraft Diesel engine are different than on a car.
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