Btw, there's a nice puff piece on the DA42-VI on the aug 2013 cover story of AOPA magazine (US)...
(tangentially, Centurion/Thielert is rumoured to have been sold to a US engine manufacturer this week...)
This US vendor posts some useful info comparing DA42-VI -NG and -TDI cruise speeds.
Seems those VI engines at 92% peak nicely at European airways heights which transit TMA's and mountain ranges with only moderate use of oxygen. I could not find a graph comparing a more realistic (frugal) cruise setting.
Another here compares engine maintenance intervals on Centurion 2.0L vs Austro.
I wonder if the economics favour one over the other when buying second hand, given current market values. Buying new, the overwhelming factor is presumably depreciation even if you are lucky and the engines make TBO.
I wonder if the economics favour one over the other when buying second hand, given current market values.
I guess buying a DA42 new vs used is becoming a bit more of a straight budget decision... - ie. how much money you're preparing to spend.
A new DA42-VI is at least double the cost of a nice, used DA42Tdi w/2.0 engines.
Having just completed a 6000nm DA42-VI delivery, I do feel the DA42-VI is a different product from the DA42Tdi.
Performance is real good. You get an additional 25-30 kts at high power settings & altitudes.
I got a solid 191 ktas at FL130, ISA+10, 92% power. At FL160 you'll probably pull a decent 195 ktas.
Fuel flow can get ridiculously low - at 40% power & 7.4gph (total), you still get somewhere around 130 ktas at FL130.
Single engine climb at FL110 was an easy 300-400fpm - the certified FL180 single engine ceiling felt completely plausible.
In terms of equipment the DA42-VI's on board weather radar really stood out. Very neatly designed & the G1000 integration is superb. After using this a couple of times in night IMC & rain (in combination w/Stormscope which has a longer range & shows the really nasty stuff before it turns into precipitation), I found weather radar downright invaluable for any serious cross country...
What is the fuel burn per mile like on the new model, at those impressive speeds?
Nice, nice, I think with the DA42-VI, Diamond got a winner. Continuous product improvements are the key to success. Cirrus and Diamond are the only ones left doing this.
The DA42 does have a critical engine (both engines rotate the same direction), correct? How much of a problem is this in the DA42-VI and what is the difference in performance in single engine operations depending on which engine fails?
The weather radar is the new Garmin product?
OK, it's clear where the difference in performance between 2.0 and AE equiped aircrafts comes from. But how is it possible that the same difference in performance exists between AE equiped NG and -VI? Is it possible that -VI airframe is so advanced comparing to old one that delivers 15 kts TAS more with same engines?
Emir, the DA42 airframe had some serious aerodynamic issues. The DA 42-VI fixes a lot of them, it's finally the aircraft it should have been years ago.
Regarding the AE vs Thielert 2.0 engine: I think the performance differences are also partly due to aerodynamic improvements. The AE is damn heavy. I bet that a DA42 with Centurion 2.0s engines would outperform the NG with AE engines by a significant margin.
It is an expensive 4 seater no? And I mean for personal use not ME training.
