PlasticPilot.net

Even if 2008 is not yet over, I’m already sure that this year will remain in aviation history for the number of new aircraft types that made their maiden flight. From Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) to Very Light Jet (VLJ), there have been one or more maiden flights in almost all aircraft categories.

Interestingly, both young and old aircraft manufacturers take part in this wave of novelties. The first one was the Skycatcher, Cessna’s endeavour to conquer the LSA market. To me it looks like a mini 152, which itself is a mini 172. Nothing really new…

In the same category, I muchly prefer the ICON A5. The maiden flight of this amphibian LSA was slightly different from the others, as it was off-airport, but out of a Californian lake. There were certainly other maiden flights in the LSA category, and more will follow, this is really a market in full expansion.

The high performance single engine aircraft segment was rather inactive for years, but with the DA50, I hope it will revive. Standard single engines are simply too slow for a good integration in the IFR system. The ideal plane for that is certainly a VLJ… as far as budget permits.

The Eclipse 500 has been flying for quite a while now, and depsite some youth incidents, it’s certainly a success. It’s concurents are not far behind. The Diamond D-Jet made its maiden flight in 2007, and the Cirrus “The Jet” and the Piper Jet both got airborne for the first time in July 2008.

In our nearly instantaneous world, all of these events are filmed, and the videos go online together with the press release themselves. But despite that modernity, the tradition of “splashing” the crew after the flight did not disappear… If you look at the videos, you’ll find one common point between all these flights, which make there nature obviously visible. Did you found it ? Leave your answer in a comment.

Diamond anounced two day ago that the DA50 will come in two version: the DA50 SuperStar and the DA50 Magnum with the AustroEngine AE300 powerplant. This is not hot news, but what Diamond added is that the DA50 Magnum will be pressuzried !

Even if you’re not an IFR pilot, this probably makes it even more attractive. Pressurization means getting to higher altitudes without need for supplemental oxygen, and less ears problems. For IFR pilots, this makes a major difference.

The maximum altitudes we can use without pressurization are in the 10 to 12′000 feet range, and these are the worst place to fly: most of the icing layers are found below 15′000 feet. Getting a pressurized aircraft does not mean that you can fly in icing conditions, but if you encounter them, that will not be at cruising altitude, and clibming through is an option.

This is particularly enjoyable when descending is not possible beause of high grounds. Another advantage is the possibility to fly high-speed approaches (particularly as these planes will be damn quick) without having to sustain the rapidly chaning pressures, which can lead to sever ears trauma.

Apart from the Cessna P210, there are not a lot of pressurized single engine airplanes around. Piper offers a turbo Saratoga with built-in oxygen, but if you want a pressurized Piper, you’ll have to buy a Mirage or a Meridian, which is clearly not adressing the same market as the 210 or the DA50.

Once again, Diamond seemd to have heard what pilots are expecting: the decision to add pressurization is the direct outcome of requests from customers who booked a DA50. I must admit that if I had the money (the prices are not yet anounced…), that would probably be my aircraft of choice.

Links:

Diamond press release about the pressurized DA50 and the AustroEngine (including pictures)

Comment from AOPA on the same topic

More on ear trauma and pressurization

Diamond announced last week the first flight of the DA50 Magnum, the one equipped with the new Austro Engine AE 300 Jet-A1 piston engine. Once again, Diamond CEO Christian Dries was the pilot in command on this flight, and was assisted by Soeren Pedersen as chief test pilot.

This is one more step towards the development of the high-performance, “full plastic” airplane. Modern airframe, modern avionics, and modern engine. There is however something that surprised me in Diamond’s press release: it describes the DA50 Magnum as a four seater, whereas the DA50 SuperStar is a five seater. I don’t know if they sacrificed a seat to more payload, or for other reasons.

I flew a lot of 5 and 6 seater (Saratoga and Bonanza), and even if I admit I seldom had more than three passengers, I always enjoyed the extra room for their comfort, and as extra luggage space. I’m waiting for more details from Diamond before telling more on this topic…

Before we get more information, and may be the chance to fly a DA-50, here are some pictures from Diamond.

You can also click here for more information about the DA50 SuperStar.