Diamond Aircraft says it’s now offering the least expensive certified aircraft with a class cockpit in the DA20. The company announced at AOPA Expo that it is now offering Aspen Avionics primary flight displays as an option in the DA20 two-place aircraft. The $8,000 option (a few thousand dollars more for the pro model) puts the price of the DA20 up to $184,000 making, it the only certified aircraft with purchase price of less than $200,000. In a podcast interview with AVweb, Marketing Director Mark Lee said flight schools have been looking for a glass cockpit trainer but the cost of most flat-panel systems was prohibitive for an entry-level aircraft.
Lee said he believes Diamond is the first original equipment manufacturer to offer the Aspen PFD, which was designed as a retrofit device to fit in a standard round instrument hole. The DA20 installation is integrated into the panel.
