From the heart of Wiener Neustadt in Austria
comes the latest model of Diamond’s DA42 light
twin. According to John Absolon, general aviation
has another gem in the form of the DA42-VI.A Dashing New Diamond
40 Flight Test
AUSTRALIAN FLYING January - February 2015ack in early 2012 I
was invited to fly the
Diamond DA42-NG,
the AE300-powered
Twin Star. Then the
Austro-powered DA42
was the leading edge in
diesel powered twins displaying
incredible fuel efficiency while not
sacrificing performance or comfort.
As I was about to take to the
air at Hawker Pacific’s facility
at Bankstown Airport that day,
Stephen Pembro from Hawker
Pacific’s informed me that Diamond
Aircraft had just announced an even
newer, better performing version: the
DA42-VI (pronounced Dash 6).The -VI model was
to have both airframe and engine/
propeller improvements, some of
which have been derived from future
developments in the Diamond
Aircraft model pipeline and further
developments by Austro Engines in
diesel aero engine technology.
The DA42-VI is now here in
the flesh in Australia and made a
demonstration tour around Australia
and New Zealand late last year
before being delivered to an eager
new owner.
The most striking changes you
notice as you approach the Dash 6
(apart from Hawker Pacific’s livery
of flags representing the manycountries and flying schools
currently using Diamond Aircraft)
is the new engine nacelles.
The large draggy air intakes of the
NG model have been replaced by
streamlined, almost flush, intakes
that impose significantly less drag
whilst still ducting the required
cooling air to the engine’s liquid
cooling radiator, turbo-charger
intercooler and the various other
oil and turbo cooling requirements.
Take for example the intake at
the bottom of the cowling which
conducts cooling air to the main
radiator; between it and the
propeller spinner are two low-drag
protrusions that channel the air thatJOHN ABSOLON