The Kinder, Simpler, MORE Affordable Diamond Four Seater (Part
Two)
As noted in Part One of
this series, Diamond Aircraft was kind enough to throw caution to
the wind and send their only prototype DA40-180-FP to Winter Haven,
FL, to let me beat it up a little bit and see if the concept of a
kinder/simpler DA40 had promise.
Diamond's Mike Skoczen was either in the dog house back
home, or had lost a bet, and so was selected to suffer the
indignities of having to fly with me. Skoczen briefed me well on
the plane prior to our flight and a walk-around inspection revealed
some interesting details. First of all; the free-castering
nosewheel has a gear leg that looks like it came off a small
cannon… it's a pretty beefy affair. Break this and you're
going to need a REALLY good excuse to explain yourself. Getting to
all critical assemblies takes little time and effort, and allows
for a simple pre-flight, EXCEPT for the T-Tail's horizontal stab
which is a bit taller than most folks and will require a step
ladder to do a proper look-see. Since the gear has been
"de-pants'd" for normal flight school ops, access to wheels and
brakes is excellent.
Entry/exit is a double-edged sword. There is a very handy step
forward of the leading edge on BOTH sides of the aircraft that
offers excellent access to the wing next to the cockpit, underneath
the forward hinged canopy. The step in, though, is a deep one and
it is a mite awkward if one is a little short in the leg
department… a fold-over seat cover that might be used to
guard the seats from foot prints, and the detritus that comes with
them, might be a good idea… especially in a heavy-traffic
flight school environment. The Diamond folks have put a VERY handy
hand-grip on the forward part of the panel assembly that can
actually take one's weight and steadies the let-down process well
so that getting into a seat is a more gentle affair rather than the
'crash-landings' many open cockpit set-ups consign us flyers to.
It's especially handy to help in getting out of the bird.
Diamond equips the DA40 series with adjustable rudder pedals
that require one to press on the pedals to get the necessary depth
while pulling a locking release, then letting go, when the required
dimensions are reached. It's simple and works very well. Leg room
is adequate (and is a bit better in the production birds since this
prototype was just a bit shorter than the norm), head room is OK,
and the width is adequate at the hip and while a bit narrower in
the leg well, the effect is not restrictive, but feels somewhat
supportive.
The cockpit is equipped with two short-throw control sticks that
are slightly goose-necked forward to offer a little more room, at
full aft displacement, in order to avoid the infamous "panic
flare/partial vasectomy" that several students have given the
occasional unwary instructor (who tends to talk like Mickey
Mouse for some strange reason…). Their position and range of
motion are excellent (even for those of us with "enhanced thighs")
and the system exhibits little mechanical friction or breakaway
inhibitions. There is a lengthy center console that offers a
wonderfully positioned mechanical pitch trim wheel that offers a
ratio that I find to be nearly idea… neither overtly
sensitive nor requiring an unending series of turns to reach a
desired attitude. A modestly sized RED switch on that console
allows one to select either tank (there are two), it is safetied
with a pull-out knob to avoid accidental movement. The throttle
area contains the mixture, carb heat and throttle in a location
that seems positioned well... about where one's hand might
naturally rest. Just above that, heater, defroster and parking
brake levers are available.
By the way; Diamond puts in a handy map pocket in a small area
next to the outside cabin wall I on either side of the
aircraft… and also includes a small cup holder, to boot. We
suffering CFIs who have had to secure cokes between our legs (and
often look like we'd had an 'accident' after a bumpy flight) hereby
tender our thanks to the wizard who came up with that idea…
it's almost enough to justify a purchase, alone… no kidding.
The only major note of discord in the seating area is the short
stature of the female side of the seat belt connector… it's
of fairly short length and often requires one to have to dig down
and around to find it. It can be a real pain to attach for
those of us who remain enamored of the charms of the
quarter-pounder (with cheese, please), and have the love-handles to
prove it. A slightly longer connecting assembly would be a big help
here. Seating, overall, though, is pretty comfy with good back
support and a head rest that actually is fitted for real live human
beings and not the munchkins some designers envision us all to be.
While seating is designed well for people, that general layout
doesn't leave a lot of room for loose charts and paperwork, so plan
your needs carefully before settling in.
Suitably ensconced, the visual gig is a good one. The top of the
panel is not high enough to require a periscope and the peripheral
viz is just plain great. Our bird was equipped with a prototype
Garmin 1000 system, which has impressed the heck out of us in each
of the birds we've been privileged to try (including the first-ever
published report on the G1000 that ANN did last fall). I love the
attention that Diamond paid to this panel… it fits
beautifully… everything that SHOULD be at eye level, IS.
They did one thing that I can't applaud highly enough in that they
actually put the backup gauges in a place where they can be used,
in a real life, oh-sh*t, EFIS outage without making the visual
aspect of the IFR to visual transition a visual Ping-Pong match.
These gauges need to be as high as possible so as to keep eye/head
movement (when looking down at the gauges and looking out to seek
VFR references) to a minimum and guard against the treacherous
dangers of vertigo that rapid head/eye movement can bring…
and if you're in a situation where you've lost your primary
attitude system, you're plenty rattled enough as it is, without
having to bounce your eyes around. Kudos to Diamond for doing
this.
Other nice cockpit appointments include two REALLY BIG air vents
on either side of the cockpit, a flap switch that does not require
a contortion to access or visually inspect (and yet, is
positioned in area that would seem to negate accidental flap
retraction), and breakers that are both visible, as well as
accessible, in flight. Start prep required nothing special and a
simple series of (mostly) rocker switches gives the pilot access to
everything required. Due to the presence of the G1000, there
is a backup electrical system for the AI. A big red acccess
switch is safety wired to the ready position, so an
undisturbed (still safetied) switch means that the system may be
accessed if the primary electircal system takes an inopportune
hike.
The start-up procedure is child's play thanks to the
uncomplicated nature of a carbureted engine. Even cooked up a bit,
the O-360 starts readily with/without a slight prime (as required)
and careful throttle usage. The canopy can be stowed in a partially
open condition that allows for some ventilation but still keeps out
most of the dust and grit embroiled by the average engine start.
The SOLAR magnification effect (think of ants under a magnifying
glass) is considerable, so the need to SAFELY taxi with a partially
open canopy is essential. Since the G1000 requires little in the
way of stationary alignment, one can get underway pretty
quickly.
The DA40 series uses a free castering nosewheel and toe-brakes
to keep things from getting out of kilter. Light braking produces
excellent directional motivation and the nose wheel casters a
slight bit easier than some of the heavier birds we've played with,
of late. The effective turn radius, as a result, is on a par with a
taildragger… making tight operations a real dream
for close quarters. Run-up offered no surprises, the G1000 was
pumping us with all kinds of info (including an amazingly accurate
depiction of our position on the airport), and after locking the
canopy down for good, we taxied into position, lined up on the
center line and dropped the hammer on the O-360… we were
off.
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!)