With their cutting-edge Garmin G1000 NXI Avionics suite that will communicate directly with your iPad and its Mercedes/Austro Diesel engine that Flying Magazine describes as “Spectacular”, the Diamond DA40NG boasts a host of technological, safety, performance and environmentally friendly features simply not found in other aircraft.
These DA40NG’s offers full digital control of the engine – making flying a one lever operation. The propeller pitch and mixture are all controlled electronically….much like the mixture is in your car. There are no magnetos to check, plugs to foul or low lead fuel to pollute the environment. Even better is that the Austro diesel sips 5.1 gallons of Jet-A fuel per hour at a 126 knot economy cruise setting – almost half of what is consumed by a comparable 4 cylinder avgas powered engine. That economy allows the DA40NG to have a range of over seven hours on only 39 usable gallons of fuel. Pushing the power level up further will yield a 154 knot cruise while still burning considerably less than the NG’s gas powered cousins.