Diamond DA40
Trainer with glider roots
The sleek low-wing with a T-tail has a composite airframe, an enormous canopy that offers an unparalleled view (as well as a nice toasty interior on hot days), and a slew of other design quirks. For example, the seats are fixed, so the rudder pedals are adjustable, instead of the other way around.
The Diamond Star and its sibling, the two-seat Katana, share a bit of lineage with Diamond’s motor glider. Hence the powered aircraft has a 39-foot wingspan. This gets the airplane off the runway in a hurry, but it also contributes to a bit of a kite-in-the-wind feeling to the way the airplane handles gusty winds.
The Diamond factory in Austria manufactures DA40 XLTs powered by 180-horsepower Lycoming engines, but you can also purchase a DA40 NG driven by a 168-horsepower Austro diesel engine that drinks Jet A instead of 100LL.
Diamond DA40 XLT
Specifications
Powerplant: Lycoming IO-360-M1A, 180 hp Standard empty weight 1,746 lb
Gross weight: 2,646 lb
Fuel capacity: 50 gal
Performance
Cruise speed: 137 kt VSO 52 kt
Range: 830 nm Takeoff distance,ground roll 1,000 ft
