AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2013 - 56

THE PROPELLERS and cowling

are all new and contribute
to better cooling and
performance (top left).
Transferring fuel from the
auxiliary tanks to the mains is
simple—flip on the pumps (top
right).
56 | AOPA PILOT August 2013

ordering almost every option on the list—and a few
that weren’t. It features TKS, air conditioning, a topend interior, AmSafe seatbelt airbags, XM weather, an
Avidyne active traffic system, synthetic vision, electrically adjustable rudder pedals, extended-range fuel
tanks, oxygen, and sun visors.
It’s natural to want to compare the DA42-VI to
the DA40, and in that sense the twin is a much nicer
airplane. It’s more stable; the props create more drag
to make quick descents easier (and there’s no shock
cooling with liquid-cooled engines); and with the trailing-link gear, it lands nicer. The only place the twin loses
out to its single-engine brother is in roll; it’s both heavier
and slower about the longitudinal axis. But with both
having virtually the same aileron (0.1 square feet larger
on the twin), and because the DA42-VI is heavier and
has a longer wing, that’s to be expected. Otherwise, with
the easy engine management and practically the same
panel, pilots expecting a challenging transition from the
DA40 to the DA42-VI will be sorely disappointed.
Passmore briefed me on how to operate the engines
in about 10 minutes and then we did some speed tests,
airwork, and a few landings. At gross weight, a little
above sea level, and about 25 degrees Fahrenheit above
standard, we climbed at 1,300 feet per minute up to
11,500 feet. The turbochargers help the AE300 produce full continuous power of 92 percent to a bit beyond
16,000 feet. We leveled off heading VFR eastbound and
let the speed build up at the high power setting. A few
minutes later we stabilized at 188 knots on 16.5 gallons
an hour total. Trying an economy cruise, we reduced
power to a more reasonable 10.3 gallons an hour total,
which translated to 60 percent power and 154 knots.
Both speeds were around four knots faster than book.
In airwork the airplane is docile and predictable.
Stalls are crisp, but cordial. Pilots who haven’t flown the
seat-mounted center stick will spend a little time adjusting, but not much. Visibility is, of course, brilliant, which
makes it all the more enjoyable to take in the great feeling of being a “big airplane” pilot and watching the
props spin on the wing-mounted engines. One unusual
trait of that engine and propeller combination is that the
cabin is refreshingly quiet. And DA40 pilots who have
suffered with wind-tunnel-like air vents will be pleased
at the normal volume of the DA42-VI’s cooling setup.

Landings are enjoyable and envy-inducing, thanks to the trailing link gear and
mid-80s approach speed. I had a tendency
to want to land with a little bit of power,
which might not be a bad thing, given the
air brake effect of the propellers at idle.
It’s not a perfect airplane, not that there
is such a thing. Owners may find a few
minor annoyances, such as a limitation on
using the air conditioning above 10,000 feet,
and air conditioning and seat controls that
aren’t easy to reach. Flight schools could be
deterred by the prohibition on intentionally
shutting down an engine below 3,000 feet or
above 10,000 feet. And even then, an engine
can’t be shut down for more than two minutes, which makes for rushed single-engine
approaches.
Perhaps a bigger issue is that light twinengine airplanes have an image problem.
The used values are in the tank, and the
few other new twins currently available are
expensive to buy and operate. Even the basic
question of whether or not two engines
really is safer continues to turn people away.
That said, Diamond has an opportunity to
create new twin owners. Passmore said he
was seriously considering a Cirrus SR22 and
a Cessna Corvalis, both of which are faster,
roomier, and less expensive (depending on
options) than the DA42-VI. As a retired
technology professional, the advanced systems appealed to him. Diesel doesn’t scare
him—he drives a diesel car. The twin might
have cost him a little bit more, but he has a
unique airplane with the additional safety
of a second engine; total fuel burns like
those of many singles; and a strong, reliable
airframe. “Forget about the twenty-first
century,” he said. “We’ve finally made it to
the twentieth.”
AOPA
EMAIL ian.twombly@aopa.org

WEB

www.diamondaircraft.com

http://www.diamondaircraft.com

AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2013