Diamond DA42

The Diamond DA42 Twin Star is an aircraft the aircraft manufacturer Diamond Aircraft.

After 2 years and 6 months of development derived from the Star DA40 DA42 Twin Star was approved in May 2004. The first flight took place on 9 December 2002 with Christian Dries, CEO and owner of Diamond Aircraft Industries, and a flight engineer on board.

The aircraft has a high aerodynamic quality and is powered by two 99 kW (135 hp) diesel engine driven Centurion 1.7, which can be operated with diesel fuel or Jet A1 fuel. Newer Baustände are standard equipped with the Centurion 2.0. In the latest version of the Twin Star, the DA42 NG, the AE300 diesel engine from Austro Engines with 125 kW is installed. This engine was approved in early 2009 by EASA and in August 2009, by the FAA, together with the aircraft of this type and has recently been used in the DA40. The DA42 Twin Star is built of carbon composite and equipped with a glass cockpit of the type Garmin G1000. The maximum take-off weight estimated to 1785 kg ( 3935 lbs). The maximum permitted speed is about 356 km / h (192 kts ).

The DA42 Twin Star is also fully equipped for instrument flight and is also available as an option with a work based on de-icing anti-icing system ( widely referred to TKS ) available, which enables flight in known icing conditions. Thus, one can look at this aircraft as " all-weather ".

Moreover, it is the first diesel-powered aircraft, which has non-stop across the Atlantic within 12 hours and 30 minutes.

The Royal Thai Air Force since mid-2009 is a six machines for pilot training. The machines are operated by the squadron 604 in Don Mueang. A Spanish flight school ordered six aircraft with a cockpit, which corresponds to that of Airbus and Boeing, with which airline pilots of Emirates, Qatar Airways and British Airways are to be formed in 2013.

Variants

Specifications

The following data apply to the basic version:

• Crew: one pilot
• Passengers: 3
• Length: 8.56 m
• Wingspan: 13.42 m
• Height: 2.49 m
• Wing area: 16.29 m²
• Mass: 1080 kg
• Max. Take off weight: 1785 kg
• Maximum speed: 356 km / h
• Cruising speed: 287 km / h
• Rate of climb: 8.7 m / s
• Ceiling: 5486 m
• Range: 1912 km
• Drive: 2 liquid-cooled, electronically controlled 4- cylinder in-line turbo diesel engines, Thielert Centurion TAE 1.7 with 99 kW

Accidents

Between June 2007 and May 2012 15 people died in ten accidents with DA42 killed:

• On 6 June 2007 a ​​DA42 crashed on the flight from Aachen to Valencia in France, all three occupants were killed.
• On 20 September 2007, the pilot was forced to land at a DA42 St. Valentine on the flight from Krems to Linz after an engine failure in a field. The pilot was seriously injured, the passenger escaped with minor injuries.
• On September 25, 2007, three people died in the crash of a DA42 in Romania.
• The crash of a DA42 on 15 April 2008 in Jechtingen after a lightning strike, the pilot was killed.
• On 29 May 2009 there was a family of three in Styria killed when their plane crashed in thick fog in a forest on the slopes of Schwarzkogel between the Hohe Tauern and instincts.
• On June 6, 2009, two people were killed in Lower Austria.
• On July 16, 2011, a 48 -year-old pilot steered a rented DA42 after repeated low-level flight over the Swiss municipality Oberhallau (SH ) wanted in a family house on the outskirts of the village. When building it was his parents' house, which was still occupied by his 69 - year-old mother. This could be salvaged from the first rescue workers unharmed from the burning building, the son who left a suicide note, was killed.
• On 28 May 2012, a woman and a man died after a crash after the start of a DA42 in Parchim. Two people survived seriously injured.

Comparable aircraft

• Piper Seminole
• Beechcraft Duchess
• EM -11 Orka