Diamond Aircraft used AERO Friedrichshafen as the setting to announce the first delivery of a DA42 NG, with Austro engines, and to firm up timelines for various certifications involving the in-house diesel. The first DA42 NG, which was certified in Europe last month, went to a customer in Sweden. North American customers can expect two Austro-powered Diamonds to be available by mid-2010. Its DA50 Magnum AE300 Austro Engine diesel single was announced as heading towards U.S. certification, probably by mid-2010. A 300-hp gas-powered example — or a newer high-powered Diesel — should follow with certification by 2012. Along with the DA50 Magnum, Diamond’s Austro Engine DA42 NG will likely achieve U.S. certification sometime in 2010 at which time retrofits should also be available for customers of their Thielert-engined products.
Diamond also used the event to announce its Premium Maintenance Program (PMP) wherein customers of DA42 NGs built in Austria and paid for in 2009 will have complete maintenance coverage on their airframes and engines for the first two years, or their first 1,000 engine operating hours, whichever comes first.
