The Kinder, Simpler, MORE Affordable Diamond Four Seater (Part One)

Few companies populating the GA market right now seem to be making more inspired development decisions than Diamond Aircraft. While Cirrus and Lancair are (justifiably) taking bows for the exciting performance and sales numbers they'e pumping into the GA landscape, Diamond Aircraft has crept up from a point of near-obscurity to claim a place as a leader in the General Aviation market… and if our intuition is at all accurate, the probable top spot within a matter of two-three years.

With an exotic diesel powered twin to be shown later this year and a single engine jet to be streaking through the ether over the next few years, ANN was surprised to find that the kind of careful planning that has obviously gone into those more exciting projects seems to have also been lavished on the younger and outwardly more mundane cousin of Diamond's flagship four seater.

Mind you; Diamond has a heckuva nice four seater in the "stock" DA40-180 (an extensive ANN flight test has been in the works longer than we'd like to admit)… a fixed gear, constant speed, 180 horse four seater with more guts than it's diminutively sleek lines suggest, with the manners of a real thoroughbred. With the addition of either the Avidyne or Garmin EFIS line (Diamond is the ONLY manufacturer to offer their customers a choice), the DA40 had no excuses to make to anyone… with the ability to serve as either a pleasant family flyer or serious warm-weather IFR bird ready for conventional X-C duty at a moment's notice. 

So… why the fixed pitch version of the DA40? Well… if that's all here was to this bird, then I'd think that the wizards at Diamond had finally blown one… until you get under the skin of a devilishly simple and highly capable four seat trainer that was specifically designed for flight school operations and/or leaseback economy.

Diamond's FP is far more than just a tamed DA40. The aircraft has been tweaked, refined and modified to be easy and cost effective to maintain, to give up as little overall performance as possible, and to make the purchase decision a no-brainer for those looking for a hearty four seater that asks little more of it's owner than to keep it gassed, lubricated and maintained at planned/programmed intervals. 

The genius of the FP is in the smallest of details… access hatches in the seat beds that allow for inspections that don't require an A&P to have to pull a seat out, two-piece cowlings that come off in a minute or two without having to detach all manner of associated plumbing, firewall mounted oil filters and quickdrains that are easy to access and don't require a gymnast to get to them, sturdy composite baffling alternatives (including a beautifully designed composite plenum that is a work of art) that will allow an engine to cool efficiently throughout it's lifetime (without the usual baffling distortion/disintegration that takes place at least half-way through an overhaul cycle), LOTS of engine cooling, simplified/beefier exhaust system, conventional carburetion instead of slightly more problematic fuel-injection, a more generous rudder, a nose-gear designed to take on the boonies, and an interior that can handle the give and takes of careless student operations… and more.

They've been studying this project for a while, talking up flight schools and new aircraft owners all over North America and are coming up with an aircraft that will cost at $12K less than the standard DA40-180, cost at least $5K less to overhaul, save untold dollars in lessened maintenance over its lifetime, (possibly) burn a little less fuel, and give up as little performance as possible in the process. Heckuva deal… no?

OK… so what's the downside? Well… the DA40-180-FP's carbureted Lycoming O360A4D 180 hp engine drives a well-matched fixed pitch metal Sensenich propeller, which is going to cost you a few knots in cruise speed, a couple of hundred FPM in climb, and some take-off and landing requirements. But, don't be TOO disappointed… as this baby can still smoke any Skyhawk in the known galaxy.

The basic DA40-180-FP will include a Garmin GNS-430 and cost all of $179,900. If you want the new Garmin G1000 EFIS system, the bird will tote up to a solid $214,800. This will give you a solid four seater with a (full fuel) useful load of 680 pounds, climb rate of 900 FPM, and a cruise speed pushing 140 knots. Not bad, at all…

Diamond was kind enough to make the current "FP" testbed available to ANN shortly after the madness in Lakeland had calmed down, and their beleagured staff started remembering their names. Our test flight took place on a 80-85 degree day, with a 32 gallon fuel load and some 400 pounds of pilots. An extensive walk-around and briefing acquainted me with the particulars of the aircraft while I noted that the bird used to adapt the FP concept was actually the first DA40 I had flown several years before, when e breed was quite new. This bird had been extensively reconditioned and modified to the FP standard… and was the same bird used to test a number of additions, modifications and programs (including the Avidyne EFIS) … as well as a grueling 11,000 take-off and landing series that proved that Diamond knows how to build the landing gear that can withstand hell (or an ANN test pilot, for that matter). I was prepared for an interesting ride...

To be continued...

(ANN will be publishing flight test data and research from our flights in the new Diamond DA40-180-FP, the new Cirrus SR22-G2 and the recently certificated Lancair Columbia 400, over the next several days… don't miss them!)

• Read Part Two Of This Flight Test Series

FMI: www.diamondair.com