What aircraft owns this panel?

If I got the aircraft number right it is a Diamond Twin Star - OE-VFT
 
From the image properties:

Image description: In flight panel photography of the Diamond DA42 NG (Next Generation) light twin. An updated Garmin Avionics suite includes the GFC700 Automatic Flight Control System, WAAS-certified GPS systems, TAWS-B terrain warning systems and the Garmin Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT).
Wiener Neustadt, Austria
 
Looks like a DA40 to me.

It's a DA42 Diamond Twin Star.

A DA40 has fixed gear.

Good catch. Rudder trim is another tip-off, and the third one is the engine computer controls below the pilot's side air vent.

This particular one is de-iced, too - That's what the controls in the upper-left part of the breaker panel are for.
 
Hmm, a diesel powered twin, that costs less than a Corvalis, and gets better fuel economy? I think I found a new dream plane.
 
Hmm, a diesel powered twin, that costs less than a Corvalis, and gets better fuel economy? I think I found a new dream plane.

read a little bit about those diesel engines and it will turn from dream to nightmare
 
Nope... the new diesels from Diamond are out, and they're fully supported. My flight school has an older DA-42, and another operator has one with the new engines. When it's time for engine replacement on ours we'll be able to upgrade to the new engines with a small price penalty.

So I think these have a bright future.
 
Hmm, a diesel powered twin, that costs less than a Corvalis, and gets better fuel economy? I think I found a new dream plane.

That was the dream a number of people bought into when they first came out. Still have the windows wallpaper to proove it.

The Corvallis is faster, climbs higher and you have a shot at finding a mechanic who can pull an injector if you have troubles in the field.

I am all for the introduction of diesels, just not sure that the automotive conversions are the way to go.
 
Hmm, a diesel powered twin, that costs less than a Corvalis, and gets better fuel economy? I think I found a new dream plane.

Except for the fact that it is ugly as all get out....I mean that thing makes an Aztec look sexy.
 
Where is the turn coordinator on that thing? I see the mechanical ball.
 
That was the dream a number of people bought into when they first came out. Still have the windows wallpaper to proove it.

The Corvallis is faster, climbs higher and you have a shot at finding a mechanic who can pull an injector if you have troubles in the field.

I am all for the introduction of diesels, just not sure that the automotive conversions are the way to go.

I don't care much about speed, I care about efficiency, and carrying capacity. And I can pull an injector in the field,
 
There are at least 3 versions of the DA42 flying including those with diesel engines produced by Centurion/Thielert and Austro and a Lycoming IO-360 model. For more information there is a free Diamond forum Diamond Aviators Net. Somebody there can probably answer any questions on the DA42 or DA40.
http://www.diamondaviators.net/forum/
 
I don't care much about speed, I care about efficiency, and carrying capacity.

I dont think the useful load is that great. For a twin that travels at a modest speed they are sure efficient.

And I can pull an injector in the field,
.....on a highly modified Mercedes automotive diesel with a Bosch common-rail injection and piezo-fired injectors. More power to you.

The Austro version of the MB engine has a rather short service history. The service experience with the Thielert conversions was spotty. Once the company went belly-up in what looks like a fraudulent IPO, the receiver appointed by the court started to hold the owners hostage for ransom to maximize the amount he could squeeze out of the liquidation.

Given the opaque financial situation of Diamond I would not bet the value of a home in a prime location on a DA42.
 
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I dont think the useful load is that great. For a twin that travels at a modest speed they are sure efficient.

.....on a highly modified Mercedes automotive diesel with a Bosch common-rail injection and piezo-fired injectors. More power to you.

The Austro version of the MB engine has a rather short service history. The service experience with the Thielert conversions was spotty. Once the company went belly-up in what looks like a fraudulent IPO, the receiver appointed by the court started to hold the owners hostage for ransom to maximize the amount he could squeeze out of the liquidation.

Given the opaque financial situation of Diamond I would not bet the value of a home in a prime location on a DA42.

Maybe you should think about what people do for a living instead of questioning their abilities. Yeah, swapping an injector, bleeding the fuel system, replacing....whatever. Piece of cake. I just replaced the master cylinder and 2 CV joints on a Hyundai Accent that is way more complicated than that plane. Planes are simple, even the most advanced thing like this Diamond is much simpler than any modern car.
 
Planes are simple, even the most advanced thing like this Diamond is much simpler than any modern car.

For now, not looking foward to some of the new tech rolling our way though. I mean an engine that adjusts it's timming?! What will they think of next!??:rofl:
 
Nope... the new diesels from Diamond are out, and they're fully supported. My flight school has an older DA-42, and another operator has one with the new engines. When it's time for engine replacement on ours we'll be able to upgrade to the new engines with a small price penalty.

So I think these have a bright future.

Tim,

Small price penalty? Are you sure of what you're talking about? There are four possible engines on the DA42's - They originally came out with the Thielert 1.7's, and just before Thielert went belly-up they switched to the Thielert 2.0's. Now Thielert is back and you can get Thielert 2.0's again but Diamond got the shaft from Thielert so they quickly put together a Lycoming IO-360 conversion and at the same time developed the Austro diesel used in the DA42NG.

I think you can upgrade the Thielert 1.7's to Thielert 2.0's for "a small price penalty" but I think that upgrading from any Thielert-equipped DA42 to the Austro engines is quite costly. Engines, mounts, nacelles, parts of the fuel system, computers, yadda yadda - All has to be replaced, and I believe it's quite costly.

Yup - According to Diamond, the upgrade is 99,000 Euros, which is currently about $140,000. Not a "small price penalty" in my book! :hairraise:
 
Where is the turn coordinator on that thing? I see the mechanical ball.

On the G1000, the "ball" is a line just below the bank index pointer near the top center of the screen. The rate of turn is indicated by a small purple line that extends left or right from the heading pointer on the HSI; there are markings to the right and left for 1/2 standard rate and standard rate.

Edit: Here's a picture:

attachment.php


You can see the "Ball" line and the rate tick marks here. However, the purple that you see coming out from under the heading pointer is NOT from the turn coordinator, it's part of a purple diamond that appears to show your ground track (a pretty nice addition for hand-flying - Make the purple diamond sit on the head of the course pointer and you'll stay right on course). You can see just to the left of that that winds aloft are 11 knots and coming from in front and to the right of us, so that very slight right crosswind is pushing our ground track a couple of degrees to the left and making a piece of the diamond show.
 

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For now, not looking foward to some of the new tech rolling our way though. I mean an engine that adjusts it's timming?! What will they think of next!??:rofl:

LOL! Probably something crazy like overhead cams.
 
Tim,

Small price penalty? Are you sure of what you're talking about? There are four possible engines on the DA42's - They originally came out with the Thielert 1.7's, and just before Thielert went belly-up they switched to the Thielert 2.0's. Now Thielert is back and you can get Thielert 2.0's again but Diamond got the shaft from Thielert so they quickly put together a Lycoming IO-360 conversion and at the same time developed the Austro diesel used in the DA42NG.

I think you can upgrade the Thielert 1.7's to Thielert 2.0's for "a small price penalty" but I think that upgrading from any Thielert-equipped DA42 to the Austro engines is quite costly. Engines, mounts, nacelles, parts of the fuel system, computers, yadda yadda - All has to be replaced, and I believe it's quite costly.

Yup - According to Diamond, the upgrade is 99,000 Euros, which is currently about $140,000. Not a "small price penalty" in my book! :hairraise:

$140,000 a complete upgrade package for a twin? It's not that much more than an overhaul of the existing engines & props.
 
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