Avweb on flying the DA42 V1

[Aart]

Was in Wiener Neustadt yesterday and flew the new 42. Sorry guys, I know the new name but I'd like to wait for Diamond to announce it in Friedrichshafen. They have found a creative solution. Am I a good teaser or what?

There are indeed numerous aerodynamic improvements, ranging from flushly mounted screws to seriously redesigned components like the engine cowlings. Especially the latter look at lot better and are sleeker than the NG ones.

The plane indeed accelerates quite briskly, quite a bit more than the TDI but clearly also more than the NG. It leaps into the air very quickly and climbs impressively.

We could not really record any cruising speeds in a sensible way; quite a bit of turbulence and light rain, even some icing.. I saw some speed tables, but they are preliminary. Let's wait until Diamond issues the final version in their AFM. It looks like the speed increase vs the NG is really significant at higher power settings and altitudes.

They also managed to shave off weight, to the tune of some 40 kgs, which is not bad. And airconditioning is offered, but its weight of approx 30 kg eats into that payload increase. The good thing about the airco option is that it is placed in the rear bag compartment, so that helps bringing the CoG backwards, to compensate for the effect that the heavy Austros have.

All in all an impressive plane.

Also had the pleasure to spend quite a few hours with Christian Dries and Gerd Berchtold. I am impressed by their drive in moving the company and its products forward, all based on a solid understanding of aviation

[Thomas]

So it will be a new DA42 model, not the DA52 ... also a new twin in FDH. Thomas

[Henrik]

They also managed to shave off weight, to the tune of some 40 kgs, which is not bad.

Indeed. Any idea if they kept the MTOW at 1900kg (ie. 40 kg extra payload) or revised the MTOW downwards?

I'll be keen to dig through the revised AFM when it's released.

Wish list:

1. 10-15 kts increase at FL100+ @ same gph compared to the NG
2. Lower V-speeds (the TDI had excellent stall & Vmc speeds; however, the NG took a 7-8 kts hit)
3. Higher service ceiling (though I doubt this will happen - anyway, FL180 is decent, FL250 is pushing it on a non-pressurised piston anyway...)

[Antoine]

They also managed to shave off weight, to the tune of some 40 kgs, which is not bad

Aart, any idea how they did it?

[Kai]

Aart,

Great news and thanks for sharing the DA42-V1 experience. It sounds like they will finally have the plane they hoped to have.

Did you know that they call their DA52 "DA52-VII"? Now, that could be a "vee-two" or a Roman "seven".

http://www.diamond-air.at/2614.html

[Aart]

They also managed to shave off weight, to the tune of some 40 kgs, which is not bad.

Indeed. Any idea if they kept the MTOW at 1900kg (ie. 40 kg extra payload) or revised the MTOW downwards?

I'll be keen to dig through the revised AFM when it's released.

Wish list:

1. 10-15 kts increase at FL100+ @ same gph compared to the NG
2. Lower V-speeds (the TDI had excellent stall & Vmc speeds; however, the NG took a 7-8 kts hit)
3. Higher service ceiling (though I doubt this will happen - anyway, FL180 is decent, FL250 is pushing it on a non-pressurised piston anyway...)

Yes, MTOW is 1900, so the weight saving translates directly into more payload.
As to your wish list: Let's indeed wait and see the final AFM, but your wishes seem to be a bit ambitious.. Well, at least one V-speed has come down for sure. Vr, enabling this surprisingly short take-off distance.

Antoine: the weight reduction was achieved by scraping all across the airframe and the systems it seems. Cleverer cable routings, and things like that.
They introduced an incentive scheme for employees: A certain bonus for any idea that leads to a weight saving, all within certification standards of course. May bring further reductions in future.

Kai: when you were a little boy, did your mother ever tell you: 'now don't be such an inquisitive and clever little fellow'. If she did not, I do now.

[Erik]

Did you know that they call their DA52 "DA52-VII"? Now, that could be a "vee-two" or a Roman "seven".
http://www.diamond-air.at/2614.html

Not again. And thee's another plane you won't see me driving with that name. I suggest that these guys should enroll in a combined marketing PR/WWII history class.

[Kai]

Did you know that they call their DA52 "DA52-VII"? Now, that could be a "vee-two" or a Roman "seven".
http://www.diamond-air.at/2614.html

Not again. And thee's another plane you won't see me driving with that name. I suggest that these guys should enroll in a combined marketing PR/WWII history class.

The V2 or major parts of it were produced in the Wiener Neustadt "Rax-Werke", partially run as a branch of a concentration camp until 1943 (KZ Mauthausen). I cannot imagine they were not aware of it.

I admit though that "V1" and "V2" are cool abbreviations and that time goes by and maybe it is time to give these abbreviations a new and better meaning. I don't think that an Austrian company with the historic background they have should play a leading role in this.

[Erik]

Did you know that they call their DA52 "DA52-VII"? Now, that could be a "vee-two" or a Roman "seven".
http://www.diamond-air.at/2614.html

Not again. And thee's another plane you won't see me driving with that name. I suggest that these guys should enroll in a combined marketing PR/WWII history class.

The V2 or major parts of it were produced in the Wiener Neustadt "Rax-Werke", partially run as a branch of a concentration camp until 1943 (KZ Mauthausen). I cannot imagine they were not aware of it.

I admit though that "V1" and "V2" are cool abbreviations and that time goes by and maybe it is time to give these abbreviations a new and better meaning. I don't think that an Austrian company with the historic background they have should play a leading role in this.

I am well aware of the history of that airfield. As far as I am concerned that makes V1, and V2 and whatever like references they can think of off limited for aircraft forever.

If someone needs to use the cool names someday, yes not an Austrian company at that airfield. How about a nice lawnmower from France called V2?

I am not kidding around by the way. Such a name would turn me into a potential customer into a permanent non customer. I am not in the market today, but WAS looking at that airplane as a potential next airplane in several years.

[Aart]

Now that the plane has been officially launched, we now know the name: It is the DA42 'dash 6' as they call it, so VI, roman 6 as Kai alluded to. It has to do with this DA42 being the 6th version, if you include all version of the Thielert-powered, Lyco-powered, Austro-powered, and then the MPP versions, so I was told.

DA52 is called 'dash 7' presumably because it is a further development of the 42.

This is the way I understood it, hopefully correctly.