to explore the
integration of the
avionic system of the
aircraft.
R i c h a r d To m l i n ,
Hawker Pacific’s Chief Pilot,
filed a plan to fly over to RAAF
Richmond and carry out a practice
ILS approach before returning to
Bankstown.
When departure time arrived the
weather had significantly improved,
but we stayed with our original plan
with an amendment to return to
YSBK via the training area.
Like the previous NG model
powered with the AE300, the engine
start procedure is no different tostarting the latest model diesel
European motor vehicle.
Engine Master ON, clear the
area, turn the key and the left
engine fired up instantly. After
repeating the procedure, the right
engine was also alive.
With the Avionic Master on the
G1000 came to life, and with the
flight plan loaded and temps and
pressures in the green, we taxied to
the run-up bay.
Again, like the previous models
we have reviewed here, the DA42-VI
is easily taxied using the direct link
nose wheel steering and good brakes.
The visibility is excellent, which it
needs to be so that you can clear that
long 13.55 m wingspan. That’s close to
a quarter of the wingspan of a modern
twin-engined wide body airliner!
Engine run-up is still a straight-
forward exercise of holding the
FADEC EEC Test buttons in on the
left side of the panel and after the
test messages on the Garmin G1000
EFIS have extinguished, it’s simply
a matter of the old ‘hatches, harness
and controls’ and we are on our way
to the holding point.
The take-off acceleration was“these improvements have resulted in a
significant reduction in frontal area”
44 Flight Test
AUSTRALIAN FLYING January - February 2015TOP: With gear and full flaps extended, the DA42-
VI approaches at 85 knots.
ABOVE: The new slimmer air intakes are the
most obvious external differences noticeable
from the earlier DA42 NG. Note the small head-on
cross section.