Good morning all,

I have a newly licensed low time pilot friend that is looking to buy an airplane. Needs to get his instrument ticket and more experience.
He is considering a Diamond DA-40. Looking specifically at a 2003 with steam guages, Garmin 530/430 and a King 140 AP.
He has asked some friends about this airplane. Bottom line... we all have/own/fly traditional airplanes... one bonanaza, one C-182, one maule, one Bellanca viking, one cherokee 6..and don't know anything about the diamonds.

What is the good... the bad... and the ugly on these airplanes??

Don't need the.. "buy the last airplane first" rant.... I've already tried to get him in a bonanza... and he is still considering it. He's been in my stretch deb.
BTW.. he is a tall guy... out in West Texas in the heat and the wind.. doesn't have his mission well defined yet... but I suspect a fair amount of X-Country.. out in West Texas.. It's a X-country to anywhere. :(

THanks... I probably will point him to this thread

Leldon Locke

If he is looking at the DA-40 then it's best to fly one for a few hours. Here are some quirks that I've noticed.

* The seats are rigid and molded in place. They are as comfortable as a McDonald's booth IMO.
* The rudder pedal position is adjustable. I am 5' 11" and have to slide them all the way back.
* The windshield provides a lot of area for solar heating. The airplane is a hot box. Could be intolerable in TX.
* The joystick makes using a kneeboard rather impractical.

It's a fun plane to fly and fairly fast, but the cockpit feng-shui can stop up your ch'i if you know what I'm saying.

I have a DA40, and I think it's truly a great plane. Older ones have a lower firewall that hits some people in the knees.
Diamond has been a great company in terms of support, for me.
The plane is incredibly forgiving, and has a phenomenal safety record, I love the center stick, the visibility is terrific. Climb is great, runway length is great, efficiency is great.
I like knowing that it's so safe, that there has never been a post-crash fire. I can count the fatals on one hand.
It is a great first plane.
I think it saved my ass once early in my flying. I'm glad I didn't have an a36 right off the bat.
I'm 6'5" inches and I fit fine.

I've flown it from NY to LA and back eight times now, twice through Marfa, TX. I find it plenty comfortable.
Regarding the 26g seats, another great safety feature, I use the Oregon Aero seat cushions and they changed the comfort of the plane for me in a big way.

Personally, I would recommend a g1000 version to your friend.

Negatives.
It gets hot inside when it's sunny. You need visors, hat, etc.
It's kind of slow, 140, on 180 hp, but fuel burn can be 8 an hour for that speed at the right altitude.
I wish mine had the extended range tanks, I only have 40 gallons, all steam gauges only have forty.
Compared to an A36 it's cramped in the back, but compared to most 4 seaters it's as good or better.

I want more speed, and more room in the back, otherwise I would never sell her. And maybe I won't.

There's a great owner's group.

diamondaviator.com

He should check that out on a trial basis at least.

My dad has a G1000 version, he learned to fly late in life so when he told me he was buying this airplane I did a lot of research on it - the result is that this is a very very safe aircraft. It's perfect for a low time pilot and much more sleek, better looking and more efficient than a 172.

I don't know how many airplanes in his price range have A.C. but that would be a really good idea if he was going to do a bunch of flying in Texas. You can put up with bad feng shi, slow cruise speeds, and what not if you are cool.

The diamonds also have the best post crash fire record.

Mmmm depending on how you read that - is that good or bad? Who has the worst post crash fire record?

I learned to fly in West Texas. Don't know what area of Texas your friend is living in, but if he's west of DFW he can expect a lot of (relatively) high wind, lots of crosswinds. IMO he'd be best served by a Bonanza with A/C.


my $.02

The 40 can handle crosswinds like a champ, and there is an air-conditioner STC available.

The good:
Good safety record.
Fuel efficient (count on 140-145ktas @ 10-11gph)
G1000 (w/ G700 on 2007 and later models)

The bad:
Range is somewhat limited (at least compared to a Bo)
Seats don't move, aren't very comfy for long flights
Light wing loading, you feel bumps more in turbulence
30 knots slower than my Bo

Other things worth mentioning, any DA40 with the long range 50 gal tanks is going to tend toward aft CG, often precluding full use of the payload of the plane. The 40 gallon birds don't suffer from this nearly as much.

Overall, a great plane, very fun to fly. I nearly bought one myself, but I'm glad now that I waited and got a Bonanza. I know some people that really love their DA-40 though.

Hey Yves

Next time tell us what you really think! I hate it when you pull your punches!

He's just crabby because he's been on a diet for a couple weeks.

Better looking than a Comanche any day of the week and twice on Sunday

Ignoring the "buy something else" comments for the moment, I can offer a slightly-relevant comment.

I have flown the DA-20 extensively, and have been told by those who have flown both that the DA-40 scales up nicely.

The Diamonds have an excellent feeling of quality about them, and I have never heard of anyone who got one and was not pleased with it. And, I would not call 140 knots on 180 HP "slow."

That said, it is absolutely, positively true that they are, on a hot day, hotter than the hinges of hell.

If I had a choice between a DA-40 and a Cirrus SR-20, I'd take the Diamond.

But really, I'd take (ready for it?) a Bonanza.

You've heard most of the possible comments by now. I flew one...it's fun, but kinda toyish. It's a nice upgrade from an LSA. The canopy is too hot for the Florida sun and the wing loading is too low for the afternoon thermals.

Being around a lot of water, I like a 6 cylinder motor, so I'd personally skip it. If you're looking for something fun to jump in occassionally and the family budget is a big part of the final decision, I can can see it working. They are pretty safe airplanes.