Diamond Aircraft is on a roll... and if the continuing development of  the Diamond D-Jet single-engine Personal Jet wasn't enough, there is now confirmation of a hot new single-engine bird from the ever-inventive minds working feverishly to keep up with Diamond's Christian Dries... who keeps making a series of inspired design decisions that (so far) have been met with approval, solid order books and industry acclaim. 

The first official word of the bird came at the recently concluded Diamond Aircraft Industries Christmas Party in Wiener Neustadt, Austria (which we have little doubt was QUITE the blowout...), where the new DA50 Superstar was 'unofficially' presented to the company and guests. Dries has been briefing ANN about this and other programs for quite a while, but we had not expected any public discussion of this new bird or the release of an official photo before the beginning of 2007. Happy Holidays, eh?

While we're looking for more official details and the permission to release some of what we've been told about this bird previously in private briefings with Diamond officials, we can tell you that the DA50 Super Star will utilize powerplants of as much as 350 hp, and will be powered by both gasoline and diesel engines -- though their make is yet unspecified. The "all new" bird is a five-seater and Diamond promises that it will "be the most spacious in the new generation of single-engine aircraft in General Aviation."

More info to follow...

FMI: www.diamondair.com