Yes you do need ballast in the back of the diesel version especially if you get a fat 105kg bloke in the front passenger seat.The overall load wasn’t a problem, and thankfully the blokes girlfriend came to after some persuasion. I didn’t mention that she was ballast.1
Ibra wrote:
You mean on landing? takeoff? or in general when pitching/trimming?
Well to get your W&B done with Diesel DA40… with 2 POB I am always out of envelope (center of gravity to much forward – MTOW not an issue) if I do not put ballast in the back… but as @gallois mentioned I am a fat 110kg bloke 
I have only few hours, and only as a passenger in a DA40-180.
I can’t remember the air-vent noise issue, but I have noticed they have moved around through the years, is it a year issue maybe? In ours the issue was the vent was blowing cold air on my knee.
The main problem we had was low payload, I’m a fat bloke too and with full fuel we could hardly have brought even a 3rd person.
Without getting into the nit picking about performance I have flown most of 180 HP fixed gear aircraft on the market and all three of the DA40 engine varieties and have no clear preferences I have been lucky enough to fly a very new Autro engined and Garmin loaded aircraft the AP& FD being particularly impressive.
For pure hand flying pleasure the DA40 ranks above the C172 & PA28 But below the DR400.
This is of course just my opinion and pleasure to fly is very subjective but I guess that if we got into performance issues the DR400 would win until the DA40’s turbocharger advantage kicks in.
I shall now retire to a sandbagged emplacement and await the incoming from the owners who’s opinion differs from mine.
I really like the DA40. I have recently flown about 10 hours in them, due to some MX issues with my own plane. Advantage Aviation at KPAO has 3 of them on the line. They are parked outside with no apparent issues, and maintained by the club’s shop that takes care of their entire fleet.
It’s a joy to fly, though a little different with the stick rather than yoke. The view is superb, almost as good as a helicopter. Although it’s low wing, you sit ahead of the wing. As others have said it’s significantly faster than a 172, and imo more comfortable too.
Not sure there’s a W&B problem. I have a spreadsheet for the one I’ve mostly flown and it is (just) within CG limits with two 250 lb people at the front, and nobody else. However you do need to be sure to have the figures for the exact aircraft you are flying – when I used the figures from the generic PoH it appeared to be basically unflyable. There have been a couple of modifications over the years that make a really BIG difference.
For VFR flying the G1000 isn’t a big deal. For IFR flying and if you want to use the autopilot, it does take training. The AP is incredibly powerful but the buttonology is a challenge. I did about 3 hours in the sim (basic non-motion) and a couple of hours with an instructor, in a G1000 182 since I was also flying that. I would certainly not want to launch into a serious IFR XC and just hope to pick it up in the air – nor would I allow a club member to.
If you want to talk to someone about the pros/cons/issues of having one on the line, I could make an introduction.
A_and_C wrote:
the DR400 would win until the DA40’s turbocharger advantage kicks in.
Since both aircraft offer either Lycoming or (turbo) diesel engines, one can compare apples with apples.
I love the Robin, but my experience is that the DA40 is 10+ knots faster, and this is very understandable from simply looking at both planes.
Even the oldest DA40-180 will exceed 140 KTAS and newer ones easily hit 150 at max cruise.
(Tho OP was interested in the Lycoming version, i think.)
Could perhaps have a phone call
Sure, pm me and I’ll give you the number.
My sincere apologies to anyone I offended with my “fat bloke” comment. I was of course not referring to the gladiators of the sky who post on this forum where the kilos are made of muscle mass and height.. NO I was referring to someone who had to be helped on board and sat like a sack of potatoes in the passenger seat whose body folds spread across the throttle and made it difficult to pull the stick back and who after touch down in which I had slightly ballooned I admit, due mainly to the fat suddenly giving way in the round out. In spite of still touching down quite lightly (but not quite a kiss) still gives me grief even 2 years later about it being the worst ballooning he had ever seen, and how he had learned to fly in a Chipmunk with the RAF cadets some 50years ago and how he had 10 hours in Robins and knew all about how it should be done. I’m sorry that in biting my lip with him I may have transferred my bitterness here and offended people.
I need to work on the nuances of the language if I’m ever going to get my level 6ELP.
With regards to A and C comments on Robin versus DA 40, having several hundred hours in both I tend to agree with him. But on overall performance figures not just speed but load carrying, fuel consumption etc bundled together, comparing the Robin with another aircraft (any aircraft)both equipped with the same engine, the Robin tends to come out the overall winner. Just look at the performance figures in terms of load carrying, take off distance etc of a Robin 300 with a 160hp engine you’ll find they match or better most Pipers and Cessnas with the 180hp engine.But if you want speed then the Robin is not top of the list. Try Mooney.
