Hello,
I am currently in the market for a DA 42 TDI from years 2005-2008.
While looking at the different planes available, and at the various planes I have flown I see significant discrepancies in the empty weight, ranging between 1308kg and 1372kg.This has a very significant impact on the empty weight.
All these planes have a similar configuration : TKS, empty tanks, DME.
Some have ADF, other don’t, some have GFC700, other KAP 140 but this shouldn’t have a significant impact on W&B.
Does anyone understand why the empty varies that much ?
An example is Sueair fleet : one plane weights 1342, the other 1372.
http://www.sueair.co.uk/aircraft.htm
Thank you !
Salim
He first reason they vary so much is because these aircraft and hand-built, which adds a lot of variability.
The second reason is that, reportedly, 5 out of 4 weighing reports are wrong, due to errors made during the weighing procedure…
Salim wrote:
1342, the other 1372.
I’ve flown both, they have slightly different options. One of them (M, who belonged to someone here) has a nicer interior trim (lumber support / leather), but no electric trim. Engines were different too, with one having dual flymass vs other one having single flymass.
in DA42s in general, some have structural reinforcements which increase zero fuel & maximum landing weight, so you might want to check there too.
Mine is 1355 kg empty mass with following configuration: long range tanks, oxygen, TKS, ADF, DME, KAP140, electric trim, electric pedals, platinum edition.
SUEM definitely had electric trim last week! Unless you mean the motored rudder pedal adjustment?
I also fly a fleet of Grob 115Es – 9 aircraft all identical – and the basic mass varies by 15Kg ish across them, I think it’s just a characteristic of the construction material lay up process
I used to deal with large commercial sized aircraft weighing and as @boscomantico says the variability in weighing is a real problem – residual fuel and accuracy of unusable fuel loading figures was a big factor
I would imagine that the version with the beefed up landing gear weighs more
Balliol wrote:
Unless you mean the motored rudder pedal adjustment?
Yes!
The 2 DA42 I am renting are Tdi, from 1263kg to 1316kg. The lighter has no tks, the heavier has TKS, oxy and heavy duty gear(MTOW 1785kg). They all have electric trim but no electric pedals.
Thank you for your answers !
The lack of uniform weighting methodology might well be an explanation… I have seen one plane weighting 1308kg upon delivery by Diamond, and 1352kg 7 years later (the only equipment change being the ECU battery addition as per the AD – clearly not a 44kg addition)
