DA42
| DA42 Twin Star | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Role | Light twin-engined utility and trainer aircraft |
| National origin | Austria |
| Manufacturer | Diamond Aircraft Industries |
| First flight | 9 December 2002 |
| Introduction | 2004 |
| Status | In production |
| Number built | 600+ (2010) |
| Unit cost |
US$522,750
|
| Variants | Aeronautics Defense Dominator |
The Diamond DA42 Twin Star is a four seat, twin engine, propeller-driven airplane developed manufactured by Austrian company Diamond Aircraft Industries. It holds the distinction of being Diamond's first twin engine design, as well as the first new European twin-engine aircraft in its category to be developed in over 25 years. During 2004, the DA42 became the first diesel-powered fixed-wing aircraft to perform a non-stop crossing of the North Atlantic.
By 2012, the DA42 had become a key revenue generator for the company, having gained popularity with government and military operators in addition to the civil market that had suffered as a result of the Great Recession. Government customers have typically employed the type in the aerial surveillance role, which contributed towards the development of the Aeronautics Defense Dominator, a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which had been derived from the DA42.
Since its founding in the 1980s, Austrian manufacturer Diamond Aircraft Industries had concentrated on building up an extensive product line. During the late 1990s, company founder and chief executive office Christian Dries approached the design team with a concept for a twin-engined aircraft, which would become the company's first multi-engined aircraft and serve as the next step above the Diamond DA40. This concept emphasised several key qualities, including the need for the aircraft to be relatively simply to operate and be fuel-efficient, while also providing a luxurious four-seat passenger compartment akin to modern automobiles. The concept was not popular at the time; Aerospace publication Flying Magazine referred to Diamond's choice to develop a twin-engined aircraft for general aviation use as "the emergence of an all-new light-piston twin in this class something of a surprise."
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