Diamond DA-42: Isn't This Small Plane the Real "Diamond in The Sky"?

Diamond DA-42 in the sky The Diamond DA-42 is a twin-engine, propeller-driven aircraft that can carry up to 4 passengers. It is built by Diamond Aircraft, an Austrian company.

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This model in 2004 achieved a record: it was the first diesel-powered, fixed-wing aircraft to cross the North Atlantic without a stopover.

Another fact to note is that this aircraft was after more than 25 years, the first new European twin-engine aircraft to be designed.

In recent years it has been used by both governments and the air forces of various countries for various operations. It has also been quite successful in the civil aircraft market. One of the operations in which it is used a lot is aerial surveillance.

Thanks to its low operating costs, this plane is also used as an advanced trainer.

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The Diamond DA-42 Specs

In the intentions of the builders, the Diamond DA-42 had to be very fuel-efficient and have a luxurious interior for 4 passengers like a nice car.

When the aircraft was designed and built, at the end of the ’90s, these features were not considered as important as today.

The concept of a small luxurious airplane was not so obvious.

The Range at 60% power (12,000 ft, incl. auxiliary tank): 2,250 km – 1,215 nm

Max Cruise Speed: 197 knots – 365 Km/h

Cruise speed at 60% power (16,000 ft). 174 kts – 322 km/h

Maximum operating altitude: 5,486 m – 18,000 ft

The price: The average price of the Diamond DA-42, considering various factors, is about $350000. By clicking here you can see a plane built in 2002 and today that costs $468,638.

Learn more about this incredible small plane by visiting the website of Diamond Aircraft.

The North Atlantic Crossing of Diamond DA-42

North Atlantic Crossing of Diamond DA-42 The North Atlantic crossing of this little jewel took place in August 2004.

The journey across the North Atlantic from Saint John in Newfoundland (Canada) to Porto in Portugal lasted 12 and a half hours. The aircraft still had a good amount of fuel left in it, exactly 5 hours, but the negative weather conditions prevented it from reaching its destination, which had been planned for Toulouse.

However, for the first time, a Diesel-powered aircraft was able to fly and cross the North Atlantic!

In the first part of his flight, the aircraft departed from London in Toulouse and arrived in Saint John in Newfoundland in 7 hours and a half where it was refueled.

The distance covered was 1,300 nm (2,407 km) which is greater than the maximum range indicated above in the aircraft’s specifications.

This was made possible by the energy-saving features of the aircraft. The test pilot of Diamond Aircraft, Guillamond, set the fuel consumption at 42% energy saving and managed to reach a speed of 152 knots (about 280 km). In the end, the whole flight cost the incredible figure of only 200 dollars of fuel!

The total number of gallons of gasoline consumed was 72, which corresponds to 272 liters.

An important thing to note is that the flight time of the Diamond DA-4 between the 2 destinations was shorter than the time needed with commercial flights.

The Diamond DA-42 Interior

The height of the cabin is 4 feet 2 inches, the width is 4 feet 1 inch.

As mentioned earlier, 1 pilot and 3 passengers can be seated on this aircraft.

Other features of the cabin:

Ergonomic seats and backrests, fabric inlays, carbon on the transmission tunnel
Sun glare shields and Canopy Lining
1x USB Port Each for Pilot and Co-Pilot
Instrument Lighting
Overhead Cabin Light
Dual Headset Plugs