S/N 003 To Be Used For Autopilot, FIKI Development

Diamond Aircraft Industries announced Tuesday its D-Jet serial number 003 completed its first flight, marking another important milestone in the company’s D-Jet personal jet program. The aircraft departed from Diamond Aircraft’s London, Ontario facility for a successful one hour and 25 minute flight with Chief Test Pilot Daniel Ribeiro at the controls.

The planemaker reports the flight went "exactly as planned, with completion of all test cards."

D-Jet 003’s initial test program will focus on performance and handling quality refinement, similar to the mission of previous Diamond D-Jet flight test aircraft, but will additionally be used to further develop key systems, including avionics, fuel, autopilot, and anti-ice.

Later this year S/N 003 will be retrofit with the Williams International FJ33-19 engine, to begin testing with the production configuration powerplant.

The D-Jet is designed specifically for the owner pilot, with attainability from both a financial as well as pilot qualification perspective.

Diamond states the combination of an extremely roomy cabin and three large baggage compartments, with a familiar flight envelope (to FL250), the FADEC-controlled FJ33 engine and the Garmin G1000 three-screen flight deck, makes the D-Jet the ideal Personal Light Jet, for pilots stepping up from high performance piston singles, twins and light turboprops or downsizing from expensive-to-operate, older, light business jets.

FMI: www.diamondaircraft.com