Would you buy another DA XX?

The ramblings of our community of aviators.

Moderators: Rick, Lance Murray

User avatar
Colin
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 2006
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 8:37 pm
First Name: Colin
Aircraft Type: DA42
Aircraft Registration: N972RD
Airports: KFHR
Has thanked: 319 times
Been thanked: 527 times

Re: Would you buy another DA XX?

Post by Colin »

I am extremely risk averse. The DA40 (and a few other composite airframes) are engineered so that the passengers survive an impact. The 172 is the same era as my grandfather's Oldsmobile, which had no crumple zones and was not designed with a possible crash in mind. I read the NTSB reports every month and I look at the photos on Kathryn's Report. They do not make me feel good about the little metal planes.
Colin Summers, PP Multi-Engine IFR, ~3,000hrs
colin@mightycheese.com * send email rather than PM
http://www.flyingsummers.com
N972RD DA42 G1000 2.0 s/n 42.AC100 (sold!)
N971RD DA40 G1000 s/n 40.508 (traded)
User avatar
dant
4 Diamonds Member
4 Diamonds Member
Posts: 274
Joined: Wed Jul 21, 2021 4:45 am
First Name: Dan
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: N787DM
Airports: KPAE
Has thanked: 49 times
Been thanked: 59 times

Re: Would you buy another DA XX?

Post by dant »

If I wanted to fly in the mountains I would get a T182T.
Have you flown one? I have a handful of hours in one and it felt like flying a bus to me. SUPER heavy control forces and it glides like a brick. Extremely capable aircraft but I would feel far more nervous about engine out scenarios, and I would be using the autopilot a lot more and it's just not as fun to fly.

Takes off stupid fast with 2 people however, and you can hold altitude at 35 kts in a power-on stall.
Post Reply