Country of origin:

Austria

Description:

Twin-engine four-seat touring monoplane

Power Plant:

Two 101 kw (135 hp) Thielert TAE125 turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engines

Specifications:

History:

The Diamond DA-42 Twin Star was developed by Diamond Aircraft Industries Gmbh at Wiener Neustadt in Austria from the DA-40 series and was built in the Company’s plant in Vienna, the aircraft being unusual at that time in that it was fitted with modern diesel engines. These engines were produced by Thielert in Lichtenstein in Saxony for the Mercedes Benz range of motor vehicles and were adapted for aviation use. Technical improvements over the years, in conjunction with aluminium alloy components, brought the weight of these units down to the point where the power-to-weight ratio was acceptable for light aircraft.

The manufacturer advertised the DA-42 as “rugged and extremely strong; virtually maintenance free, aerodynamically efficient composite airframe; components are corrosion proofed; epoxy primer and polyurethane topcoats offer UV protection; built of modular design with individual and easily replaced bolt on wings, stabiliser, control surfaces, tail skid and canopy”.

The compression-ignition engines used kerosene or Jet A1 fuel at 17 litres (3.74 Imp gals) per engine per hour in cruise. The engine installed produced 101 kw (135 hp) at a propeller speed of 2,300 rpm using a 1.6:1 geared propeller drive. Propellers were MT Propellers MTV-6-A/187-129 three-blade units. Each engine was fitted with duplicated electronic engine controls and a Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC). There were no magnetos as the engines, being diesels, were self-igniting and required no spark plugs. There was virtually no instrumentation, the panel display being via two 25.4 cm (10 in) Garmin G1 multi-function LCD units, these supplying all flight-critical information as well as a colour GPS moving map.

The prototype of the series (marked as D-GENI) was first shown in Berlin, Germany on 6 May 2002, the first flight of this aircraft (registered as OE-VPS (c/n 42.001) occurring on 9 December 2002. European certification was obtained in 2004 and in the United States in 2005. First customer for the type was the Lufthansa Training School, with an order for 40 aircraft. Fuel capacity was 200 litres (44 Imp gals) but optional capacity was 280 litres (61.6 Imp gals). The wing was low mounted and fitted with winglets. Structure was all-composite, and the undercarriage was retractable tricycle type. Deliveries to customers began in late 2004, certification by the European Safety Agency being obtained on 13 May 2004.

On 16 August 2004 Diamond test pilot Gerard Guillaumaud ferried a DA-42 from Wiener Neustadt in Austria to the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) event at Oshkosh in Wisconsin, USA flying the trans Atlantic leg of 3,519 km (2,187 miles) in 12½ hours; and the London in Ontario to Porto, Portugal leg, with one stop at St Johns, Newfoundland, of 2,408 km (1,496 miles) in 7½ hours.

For the American market Diamond also offered a variant fitted with two Lycoming IO-360 engines in mid 2003.

An order for two examples of the DA-42 was announced in New Zealand by the local agent and a couple of orders for examples were placed for Australian operators. First delivery to this region was in late 2005, the first becoming ZK-CTH² (c/n 42.076) to CTC Aviation Training (NZ) Ltd of Hamilton on 19 December 2005. Production of the type continued and in 2005 68 were delivered. Further deliveries to New Zealand in early 2006 were ZK-CTI (c/n 42.101), ZK-CTJ (c/n 42.102), ZK-CTK (c/n 42.103) and ZK-CTL (c/n 42.104), all registered on 17 February 2006 to CTC Aviation Training, and ZK-CTM (c/n 42.146) later that year.

First Australian registered aircraft was VH-FNV (c/n 42.182) in November 2006 to Fugro Airborne Survey Pty Ltd of Wembley, WA, followed by VH-FGO (c/n 42.199) fitted with a magnetometer. Others have been operated by training organisations, including VH-YBQ (c/n 42.202), VH-YBS (c/n 42.206); VH-YBT (c/n 42.207); VH-YBU (c/n 42.208); VH-YBV (c/n 42.210); VH-YBX (c/n 42.210); VH-UGA (c/n 42.AC135); VH-FGC (c/n 42,354); VH-DSR (c/n 42.271); VH-YBW (c/n 42.210); VH-YBR (c/n 42.202) and VH-DTS (c/n 42.258). Main operators have been Flight Training Adelaide operating from Parafield, SA, and the University of NSW operating from Bankstown, NSW.

In 2007 Thielert Aircraft Engines stopped production of the 1.7 litre Centurion engine in favour of a new 2.0 litre model (TAE 125.02.99). However, the company filed for insolvency in April 2008 and in May that year Diamond Aircraft indicated it would acquire as many engine parts as possible from Thielert to ensure serviceability of the existing DA-42 fleet, of which there were some 500 aircraft. At that time 30 aircraft were on the production line in London, Ontario awaiting engines. On 14 May 2008 Thielert announced it would no longer honour engine warranties for engines installed in Diamond Aircraft. In July 2008 production of the DA-42 with the Thielert engine was suspended for a short time, the Company at that time having had, it was reported, 80 percent of the piston twin engine market.

Diamond then worked towards providing service and parts for the Thielert engines and proceeded towards achieving certification of a new more powerful diesel engine, plus a Lycoming O-360 powered variant, and these were placed in production.