Part Two Of ANN's Look at Diamondfest 2004
Sitting through a number of the technical sessions, ANN
found them unusually well-prepared and germane to the proceedings.
Rather than just being sales pitches for one thing or another,
there was an excellent effort on the part of all those concerned to
present an interesting and valuable educational program.
The Garmin 1000 program was exceptionally well-attended (so much
so that two were scheduled). Garmin's Bob Cusick did a great job of
breaking down the features of the new G1000 system and answering
question from many pilots who had such systems on order for their
DA40s and DA42s. Cusick was pleased to also be on hand as Diamond
President Peter Maurer (shown below) interrupted the Friday
sessions to share with the attendees that the FAA had certified the
G1000 for the DA40 and that deliveries would be commencing in a
matter of days. Other sessions that impressed us was Peter's
excellent and compelling safety forum. It's obvious that Diamond
places exceptional effort on safety programs and in engineering
their aircraft to a very safe degree. The seminar was an eye opener
as we learned that NO Diamond has ever been involved in a
post-flight fire and the impressively small accident record, that
has come about, is pretty limited as compared to many other types
of aircraft. The many details imparted by Diamond's Maurer suggest
that this is NO accident.
The Airfleet Capital program on financing was far more
interesting than the subject might suggest. Jim Blessing explained
the ins and outs of the current financial picture and why
present-day financing opportunities are some the best that the
industry has seen in years. Blessing gave a number of helpful hints
and comments about how to navigate the paperwork and approval
process so as to minimize delay and disappointment. Chris Eaves, of
XU Aviation is a former Diamond Aircraft factory staffer. Now, he
runs his own shop, specializing in composite aircraft maintenance.
His seminar on composite aircraft construction and repair was an
excellent session. A quick summary of the properties of relevant
composite materials was accompanied by real world examples,
demonstrations and samples of the structures involved. Chris
debunked many of the old wive's tales that are repeated
non-composite-savvy flyers and did a great job, over the course of
an hour extolling the real benefits and properties of this mode of
construction... as well as what it takes to maintain and repair
them. This was one of the best sessions of the entire event.
Of course, as the resident journalist, my ears were abuzz as
Peter Maurer was again drafted to talk about the upcoming Diamond
DA42 Twinstar and D-Jet. Few aircraft have created this much buzz
in years... and they're both coming from the same company! The
first Twinstar is due in the USA within a few weeks and will be on
display at Oshkosh (the line forms to the right, folks... bring
comfortable shoes). Already racking up a VERY healthy order book,
Peter talked about the now certified diesel aircraft and the
Lycoming powered version (not yet certified) that will follow it in
short order for those who want to stick to conventional piston
engines. The Lycoming version is showing off some impressive
numbers... boasting 2600 FPM climbs and a single engine climb rate
of 950 FPM (how many piston twins can claim that?). ANN expects to
be one of the first to fly the aircraft in the USA and will publish
a flight test as soon as possible (probably during Oshkosh). The
D-Jet was also a popular topic of conversation though Diamond has
not made that a priority until the Twinstar program is finished up.
While first flight and deliveries may be a bit further off than
originally expected due to the demands of the DA42 program, the
FJ33-4 powered D-Jet remains one of the most unique GA development
programs ever undertaken by a piston GA manufacturer.
Prior to the massive Saturday airshow at the London airport,
Diamond opened its factory doors to over 100 attendees for an
extensive factory tour. Quite evident was an extensive QA program
and a most organized factory layout. At every station, the system
seemed aggressively dedicated to precision workmanship and the
documentation needed to see that it's all done and recorded
properly. I was encouraged to note the many custom tools developed
for the Diamond assembly line by their innovative staff (the result
of which is more economical and better-built aircraft) and the fact
that Diamond actually manufactures their own pre-preg. Hundreds of
DA20s and DA40 have come through the London factory so far. In the
future, though, the DA42 will come from Austria, partially
assembled, to be completed at London... the same is expected for
the D-Jet.
All in all, it was a great start to what I hope will be an
ever-growing and increasing prominent industry affair. The event
finished up with ringside seats to the airshow, the awarding of a
number of lavish door-prizes and an even greater sense of community
than was had when they all arrived. More important, though, is the
fact that a first step has been made in bringing a critical
communication and education protocol to the forefront of the
Diamond Aircraft community. As already ably demonstrated by a
number of other owner associations, such programs can increase
the enjoyment of owning and operating such aircraft. Better yet,
the overall safety of their endeavors can be immeasurably improved
as owners and industry associates relate their knowledge and
experience for all to share. Since the Diamond line already has an
exemplary safety record (one of the best in GA), DAPO and Diamond
are in an excellent position to set a standard for all others (in
the future) to follow. We wish them luck... and look forward to
Diamondfest 2005. We wouldn't miss it.
ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.15.24)
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