It is one fine aircraft that I’d happily fly anywhere on earth – literally. There’s not much to see over the chilly waters of the North Atlantic, but there is A LOT to see on the eastern coast of Greenland. Acheter un Diamond DA62. In short, there are plenty of uses for a DA62. The weather on the way to Keflavik, Iceland, was nice, with the sun skimming the horizon for a long time. Full throttle yielded an ECU-regulated 100 per cent power; however, upon advancing the throttles I recall mild confusion because the ample acceleration didn’t seem to be accompanied by enough noise. The Diamond DA62 MPP (Multi Purpose Platform) builds on the well proven and successful multi-mission turnkey DA42 MPP, offering increased performance, space and capability. Now, I’ve been inside several aircraft factories, including Piper in Vero Beach, Beechcraft in Wichita, and even the Huey Helicopter Factory in Amarillo. The interior layout, gull-wing doors and control sticks in lieu of yokes conspired to whisper “Ferrari.” It’s the sort of airplane that makes you wish someone was taking a picture of you. The checks can be completed simultaneously, making the warm-up the longest part of the pre-flight routine. Perhaps there are good reasons to buy a piston twin after all. Get the latest industry news delivered right to your device with our free e-newsletter, Skies News. Rugged, jutting mountains rise from the sea and create a scene that made me want more. Sign up for free daily email updates from the aviation industry’s top news source. We flew about 1,500 feet over the Greenland icecap and then landed in the “golden hour” light at BGSF. I simply cannot imagine another production twin-engine airplane that can approach the DA62’s impressive cruise efficiency. I was a big fan of the conventional stick and throttle arrangement, even in a twin, and found the controls all fell comfortably to hand. Today, there are but a few. In what was to be our final leg of this day, we flew to Iceland in just 2.3 hours and burned only 40 gallons of Jet-A while cruising at 184 KTAS. Diamond DA62 Flight Controls. Go on a factory tour. The ovens that cure the composite process throughout the plant provided a bit of warmth that contrasted nicely to the rainy, coolness outside. There’s a new twin in town — and Diamond Aircraft’s DA62 represents a major step forward when compared to the two other airplanes in its class: The Beechcraft G58 Baron and the Piper Seneca V. The differences are numerous, but the three most obvious include a sleek carbon fiber fuselage, seating for seven, and Austro turbo-diesel… L’Avion privévous donne les clés de décision pour acheter ou renouveler votre Diamond DA62 neuf ou d'occasion, dans les meilleures conditions. En route back to London, Scott made quick work of the set-up for an autopilot coupled instrument approach on the Garmin G1000 avionics suite. We saw cruise speeds of 180 to 185 KTAS along the entire route to Florida and averaged 9 gph on each engine, or 18 gph total along the entire flight. Again, rudder forces were high, but trim authority was sufficient. It was a perfect day for a test flight, with a quartering crosswind of 15 knots, gusting to 20, as we lined up on London’s Runway 15. Yes, you read that right: jet fuel. I was more than excited to visit the Faroe Islands. The icy North Atlantic was in our future and I wanted all the additional fluid I could find. The 1,004-pound full fuel payload and the 9 gph max endurance cruise fuel burn cause me to tilt my held like a curious puppy. Sure, there’s a second engine, but among the legacy piston twins the complex systems, tricky handling and marginal single-engine performance all erode the presumed safety margins. There was a nearly new DA62 at the Diamond Factory in Weiner Neustadt (LOAN) and Deanna and I were to fly it back to the United States. Robert Erdos is a contributing editor for Skies magazine. It is a beautiful airplane that is on the cutting edge of aviation. Now, for me, that is a golden trip. But this place was different. I can unequivocally report the Faroe Islands are as beautiful as you may have heard. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. There are few places I’d rather explore more than Iceland. It speaks well of an airplane when I need to consciously restrain myself from adding power and taking it around the pattern again. Also an aviation enthusiast, his spare time activities include displaying vintage airplanes and flying his RV-6 kitplane. Exclusive is proud to present this 2018 Diamond DA62! The years haven’t been kind to the light piston twin. Joe Casey is an FAA-DPE and an ATP, CFI, CFII (A/H), MEI, CFIG, CFIH, as well as a retired U.S. Army UH60 standardization instructor/examiner. Diamond Aircraft Photo. The lighting was perfect and we requested a meandering, visual approach to the airport in order to explore the geography a bit more before landing. By now, I was completely comfortable in the DA62. It is certainly not a hard airplane to fly and has wonderful flight characteristics. For example, at 16,000 feet, standard conditions and realistic operating weights, a 75 per cent power setting yields a published speed of 177 KTAS burning 14.8 gallons per hour. : Désignation des appareils de série, plus de 60 exemplaires construits. Well, picture a scene of immense, unspoiled natural beauty bathed in such lighting, and let that scene roll along for nearly a full hour. The Diamond DA62 is a five to seven seat, twin-engined light aircraft produced by Diamond Aircraft Industries and first announced in March 2012. The best-laid plans can be nice, but a diversion – an unplanned change that takes you down a road less traveled – can be the start of something exciting. Our DA62, registration N628DC, serial number 38, had an empty weight of 3,749 pounds. The weather was splendid throughout our flight to KTYS and I fully enjoyed the view of the Appalachians. DiamondShare is a revolutionary program designed to "Make the Dollars Make Sense" for the aircraft owner. Once settled, I found the seats comfortable and the field of view outstanding. More importantly, I had become very comfortable with the performance. I gained an immense appreciation for the process and precision that the employees applied to the process. Darkness dominated the leg to Norway and we used up a ton of deicing fluid in our attempts to thwart the ice and its bad aerodynamic effects. In all, we flew just over 30 hours in the DA62, which was about the same time in the air that we would have expected of the much longer trip in the much faster King Air. The run-up check was similarly straightforward, after we had taxied for a few minutes to warm up the engine oil, coolant and gearbox temperatures. Your email address will not be published. That’s quite a hyphenated mouthful, but did you notice the “compression ignition” part? Only in Greenland. The Diamond lineup of airplanes simply was not on my radar screen, but I was about to get a baptism into the Diamond world. On missions where endurance is the objective, a 50 per cent power setting delivers 144 KTAS and 9.7 gallons per hour. There was a nearly new DA62 at the Diamond Factory in Weiner Neustadt (LOAN) and Deanna and I were to fly it back to the United States. The DA62 is also approved for operation from unimproved strips. The optional equipment list provides considerable operator flexibility and includes air conditioning, 36-gallon auxiliary fuel tanks, weather radar, satellite datalink for weather and entertainment, and a TKS “weeping wing” anti-icing system certified for flight into known icing (FIKI). Mixture control was automatic, as was everything else. The DiamondShare™ Program Aircraft Ownership that … Run-up literally required two steps: depress the ECU test buttons and wait while the engines underwent a programmed test routine, then momentarily test each of the duplex ECUs with another switch. Annoncé en 2012, cet appareil est basé sur le fuselage du monomoteur Diamond DA50, mais il est équipé de deux moteurs diesel Austro AE300 installés dans des nacelles sur les ailes. I used the opportunity to feign distraction, allowing our roll attitude to increase toward a dangerous spiral divergence. The approach into EKVG is amongst the mountains and the video Deanna took of the approach records one of the most beautiful places on earth in my opinion. Diamond’s new DA62 may well serve to reverse that trend. It was one of the more memorable flights of my career. But, my part of this long ferry was coming to an end, with Deanna completing the  delivery of the DA62 to its final destination (KFXE) in Florida. Faster than I could say, “identify, verify, feather,” the engine shut down and the propeller feathered. With seven seats, it’s certainly not the cheapest dedicated trainer, but some operators will appreciate an aircraft with legitimate charter capability. 500 Trillium Dr., Unit 23, Kitchener, ON N2R 1E5, Phone: 519-748-1591 We capped off the flight with a walk to the diner in the airline terminal at BGSF, where we had a muskox burger for lunch. During the test flight, fuel flow was just 9.4 gallons of Jet A per engine, per hour. The DA62 shares a superficial similarity to Diamond’s other twin, the DA42; however, with seven seats it’s a completely different aircraft. Deanna’s Perspective: I was so excited to be accompanying Joe to pick up the two King Airs in India, as this was to be a sort of “supervised solo” through the region, with him in one aircraft and myself in another. At our loading condition, I could comfortably sustain full aft stick while retaining adequate lateral control. The certified ceiling for normal operations is 20,000 feet. I was smiling. Flight controls, avionics, windows and interiors were all installed as the aircraft moved through the facility. It was my privilege to fly the DA62 with Diamond’s chief pilot, Bill Scott. acrobatiques, Diamond DA62 ©Anna Zvereva, le 24 juin 2017, https://www.diamondaircraft.com/en/private-pilots/aircraft/da62/overview/, https://www.diamondaircraft.com/en/private-pilots/aircraft/da62/tech-specs/, https://www.diamondaircraft.com/en/about-diamond/newsroom/news/article/first-da62-mpp-sold-to-dea-uk/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_DA62, https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_DA62, https://www.aerobuzz.fr/aviation-generale/l-etonnant-bimoteur-da62-de/, https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/da62-mpp-special-mission-aircraft/, https://www.monch.com/mpg/news/air/1492-da62mmp.html, https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/diamond-delivers-first-da62-to-israel-434371/, Diamond DA62 ©Anna Zvereva, le 19 août 2017. Your email address will not be published. In the DA62, there’s a lot to like. Le DA62 est conçu par une équipe de développement dirigée par le directeur général de Diamond, Manfred Zipper. All was well as we sat in business class aboard the big Boeing 767 to Europe, but upon landing, I found my phone inundated with phone calls and texts. Given its jet-like operating simplicity, the DA62 would be an ideal twin-engine trainer for those pilots intent upon flying “grown up” airplanes. The DA62 has plenty of storage space, and we found the useful load sufficient to load up luggage, deicing fluid and top the fuel tanks with jet fuel. An upgrade to the latest Garmin G1000 NXi avionics system will also prove a popular option. The large volume provides our design engineers more space to install state of the art high-end technology without being limited in space. He is a graduate of the U.S. Download a PDF or view a flipbook online now. My colleague Deanna Wallace was flying with me to return a King Air 200. The next day the winds would not allow us to land in Greenland with acceptable reserves, so we ended up staying in Iceland for two nights, with a full day in between to explore. Following a quick poke at some self-test buttons, the procedure called for the left engine master switch to be selected on, followed by a brief pause until the engine glow annunciator extinguished, after which the starter button was depressed. This was going to be a fun diversion. 20,000 ft. 1,283 nm. Although he was settling into his normal “non-flying day” routine of answering emails, returning calls and the never-ending administrative duties of his business, we decided to take advantage of the rare layover and explore an area known as the “Golden Circle.” While we ran out of daylight before we made it around even an abbreviated tour, it was neat to see the variety of landscapes that portion of Iceland had to offer, including mountains, nature preservation, farmlands, waterfalls and barren, rocky shorelines. So was the case about six months ago when I was to fly a King Air 90 from India back to the United States. We share highlights from Airshow London SkyDrive 2020, fly along with the Waterloo Warbirds in a formation clinic, and get the lowdown on Vans RV aircraft, Chorus Aviation, and Spidertracks. My first response: “What is a DA62?”. First CC-295 FWSAR aircraft arrives at 19 Wing Comox, Weather, aircraft performance & operating procedures among areas of focus for C-130 air tanker accident investigation, Operation recovery: Airlifting a CC-138 off the Arctic ice, Northern Lights Aero Foundation announces 2020 award winners. We were to fly in unison (not formation) together, landing at the same locations and within a short time from each other. Me either. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. The DA62 MPP is the next larger Diamond Surveillance aircraft featuring the latest in tracking and sensor technology. When I think of Austria, I think of the classic movie, “The Sound of Music.” Gorgeous mountain scenery and a European country that is one of the gems of the region. On our particular visit, the sun peeked through the broken, thin cloud layer to give us a natural laser show that was unparalleled to any view I’ve experienced before. The cabin volume and payload capability of the DA62 MPP will open new markets for Diamond surveillance aircraft. Control response was pleasant for hand flying, with just a bit of adverse yaw in evidence at low speeds. Furthermore, the primary attraction of a twin-engine airplane is redundancy in the event of an engine failure; however, accident statistics have conclusively proven that a light twin is no safer than a single-engine airplane after an engine failure. Imaginez pouvoir embarquer jusqu'à 6 passagers dans un appareil rapide, sûr, moderne et très économique. Those are some pretty remarkable numbers when considering the comfort, speed and efficiency. We landed there in driving rain, harsh winds and terrible visibility. Find checklists used by Diamond Aircraft Flight Training for your specific aircraft type. The DA62 MPP challenges even significantly heavier and far more expensive conventional turboprop aircraft by combining high utility and capability with very low operating cost. The transition to a single-engine climb at the recommended 87 KIAS presented no undue challenges. This is hard to describe, but the Diamond factory sort of “fit” the Austrian location. Our sales force will be happy to provide you with the necessary information: sales@diamondaircraft.com or +43 (2622) 26700-1317. Another thing you’ll notice as you step into the aircraft is the stick, and just as with other Diamond aircraft, the stick is centered just in front of the pilot and co-pilot seats. The NEW DA62 is AVAILABLE UNDER THE DIAMONDSHARE PROGRAM! The next morning, I filled the fuel tanks and filled the deice fluid reservoirs. The DA62 series is powered by the Austro Engine AE330. The sleek lines of the Diamond aircraft were just starting its formative stages, but you could see the plane taking shape as we moved throughout the plant. We finally were able to leave Iceland for Kangerlussuaq, Greenland (BGSF) in the darkness of the next morning, and the sun greeted us about an hour into the trip. The process was repeated with the other engine, and we were ready to taxi before I found a place to hide my pen. Le Diamond DA62 est un avion léger du constructeur autrichien Diamond Aircraft, de 7 places, propulsé par un bimoteur Austro Engine AE330, soit 2X180 Hp. The DA62 is a multi-engine, diesel-burning airplane and jet fuel works perfectly. Receive monthly editions of our print magazine right to your door. There is a 60/40 split flat-folding three-seat centre row and an optional third row incorporating two seats. We saw nothing but clouds the whole flight from Germany to Norway until our descent. We levelled off at 10,000 feet (2C air temperature) and 95 per cent power, letting the slippery twin accelerate until we were rewarded with 188 knots true airspeed (KTAS, or 160 KIAS). They were uniformly benign, with a gradual crescendo of airframe and control buffeting, in addition to the mandatory lights and tones, to awaken even the most obtuse pilots. 2020 DIAMOND DA62 For Sale in Morrisville, North Carolina at Controller.com. The checklists contain all the procedures applicable for Diamond aircraft in an easy-to-use format. And when I look at Diamond’s DA62, I’m more than intrigued. An active instructor in the PA46 and King Air markets, he has accumulated 14,300-plus hours of flight time, with more than 5,200 dual-given as a flight instructor. I was completely familiar with the G1000 avionics suite and had grown to appreciate the nuances of the airplane, especially the control of the engines and deicing systems. Les débuts de l'aviation et la Première Guerre Mondiale, L'Entre-Deux-Guerres et la montée des périls, Patrouilles I found it to be particularly stunning in the dense fog of Austria. Several decades ago, in the heyday of general aviation manufacturing, there were dozens of light piston-powered twin-engine airplanes on the market. Nice. It was simplicity itself. The good news was a DA62 needed to be moved from Austria to Florida. C'est le pari insensé mais réussi de Diamond avec le DA62. Sign up for your free Digital Alert from Skies magazine. From another perspective, our demonstrator aircraft had a very respectable full fuel payload of 717 pounds, notwithstanding that it was carrying a generous list of options. We started at the beginning and saw sheets on sheets of composite material beginning the formation process. A new benchmark on the light aircraft surveillance market. Maine is far from Florida, and the next day was to be filled with us flying down the Appalachian Mountains. In lieu of the usual forest of knobs and levers–throttle, propeller speed, mixture, cowl flaps, carburetor heat, magnetos–the DA62’s engine controls consisted of a power lever and an engine master switch. I selected the Flight Level Change mode and watched the GFC 700 autopilot smoothly climb through mild turbulence with less than a two knot speed variation. Both persons with 1.70 m / 5 ft 7 in height Person in front with 1.75 m / 5ft 9 in height Person behind with 1.85 m / 6ft 1 in height Person in front with 2.00 m / 6 ft 7 in height Person behind with 1.93 m / 6 ft 4 in height Legroom for a person with 1.93 m / 6 ft 4 in height The DA62 cabin - second row and third row. It would make an ideal light corporate shuttle, especially for flight departments with mixed fleets where the crews have all but forgotten concepts like cowl flaps and mixture controls, since its operation is “turbine simple.”. Home » Features » Shiny New Diamond: Flying the DA62. I ordered a gob of deicing fluid for the FIKI airplane and soon discovered that it was one of the best decisions of the trip. Okay. Instead of the rivet-filled, aluminum-everywhere scene found in the typical aircraft manufacturer facility, Diamond was filled with lots and lots of composite materials. The sun is short-lived in latitudes this far north in the wintertime, and we only had 5 to 6 hours of sunlight in the day. Anyone seeking to eulogize the light twin will no doubt quote two factors that purportedly led to its demise: fuel economy and safety. All too soon, the DA62’s solid trailing link undercarriage lowered us onto the runway at London. The DA62's AE330 180 hp jet fuel piston engines are a refinement of the well proven AE300 170 hp engine, in service in Diamond's DA40 and DA42 since 2009. The certified single-engine ceiling is 13,000 feet. Diamond DA62 | Across the Atlantic: A Ferry Flight Review, Piston Power Series | Cirrus SR22 vs. Diamond DA62, Cabin Class Fever | After the Great Lockdown: The Great Lakes = Great Flying. With 180 HP and EECU single lever control system. It’s easy to envision the DA62 as personal transportation for a family that feels that redundancy is better served by a “spare” engine than a parachute.