The Kinder, Simpler, MORE Affordable Diamond Four Seater (Part Four)

• Read Part One of This Test Flight Series

• Read Part Two Of This Test Flight Series

• Read Part Three Of This Test Flight Series

Howdy folks… we left you hanging yesterday before we finished our flight test of the DA40-180-FP… but have no fear, this is the end of this particular magnum opus… It's a story quite worth telling… because as you can guess, we found the FP version of the Diamond Four seater to be an exceptional and cost-effective little airplane.

So… as we were cruising along, it was time to see if the sleek little DA40 offered good manners in the "WHOA" department. Pull back on the power, assume a level attitude and be prepared to wait. The DA40 holds its energy well, and has little drag in the clean configuration--even without wheel pants. A strong sideslip kills off any acceleration readily, but adds surprisingly little drag to the proceedings.

In the neighborhood of 55-60 knots, power-off, the DA40 needs a significant amount of positive pitch pressure to keep the speed down and the energy in check… but the manners remain agile. Roll is surprisingly unaffected in terms of total response though pressures do lighten up noticeably. Rudder remains truly aggressive and the pitch response seems virtually unaffected. Heading for the moon, still cleaned up and power off, the DA40 offers a light high-frequency buffet of low amplitude at least 5 knots before the applicable stall attitude… though coaxing a break out of it with our CG and loading was nearly fruitless unless we accelerated the process a bit… and then all we got was a nodding pitch-buck that settled into a light mush and a solid root/tail buffet.

Flap extension produces a very light positive trim change… even with the second notch cranked in (there are but two notches of flaps available). The first notch seems like it adds a fair bit of lift to the proceedings, with little to no drag, while the second is pretty much all drag… but not quite enough, in our opinion, to truly complete the airplane. A little more flap (and a little more drag) would seem to be just what the flight surgeon ordered.

With everything hanging in landing configuration, power-off, the bird flirts with 45-50 kts IAS as it mushes along with obedient rudder response and bit of sensitivity to roll inputs. Leveled out, there is no overt tendency toward spins or departure, even full aft stick. One can maneuver aggressively while fully mushed/stalled with truly obedient control of the proceedings. Accelerated stalls are quite benign, with actual breaks resulting in the bird buffeting modestly and rolling level through the mush.

Since the bird is scheduled for a full spin series in the near future, we did not beckon into this territory though I've been promised the chance to try them out later (at the big Diamond Fest, this June 24-26th), once the spin matrix is fully documented. I'm looking forward to it… with that rudder, there should be few problems in conventional spin entries and recoveries… though our experience with the bird seems to indicate that accidental spins will require a flyer that is somewhat asleep at the stick.

Our bird was equipped with the new Garmin G1000, an exquisite new entry to the increasingly competitive glass panel market. We're waiting for some final documentation from Garmin before doing a more comprehensive write-up on this system (since we've already done a story on the installation we flew in the C182, and don't want to go over familiar territory), but the overall impression is a darned good one. We tend to be a little more impressed with the Avidyne system for the moment since their operational experience in hundreds of airframes is doing wonders for the system's maturity and usability, but Garmin is learning the ropes swiftly. We sincerely appreciate the reversionary capabilities of the G1000 (where either display can take over primary duties if one tanks, while in-flight) and the shut-down/re-initialization process in-flight, is the best of the two… but the Avidyne's MFD architecture and engine monitoring will require some true genius to overcome. Then again, the PFD portion of the comparison is a virtual toss-up. Most important, though, the way this system is integrated into the DA40 is simply a visual delight. Everything fits readily within a normal eye-level scan, backup instruments are positioned to avoid unnecessary head movement during IFR/VFR transitions, and the high-resolution visuals (even under a bright sun) are a joy to behold (even to an instructor sitting on the right side of the aircraft… where I sat throughout our flight test). One caveat… certain types of sunglasses KILL much of the display's clarity and contrast… so be prepared to switch sunglasses to a more EFIS-friendly type if you want to keep them on during flight.

Approach and landing in the FP are a mite different than the CS version of the DA40 since the idling CS prop tends to offer a more noticeable amount of drag than the speedy little DA40-180-FP really needs. This baby is all about speed management, because if you come streaking down final doing your best imitation of an F16 on the make, then you're going to need a fair piece of real estate to dissipate all that energy. There simply is very little drag in the DA40/FP-even with the flaps hanging at full attention. The DA40 slips aggressively, and is VERY mild-mannered even while slicing through the ether while well over onto its side. While the slip does kill off some energy and adds some drag to the mix, this bird is so clean that the effect is, at best, modest. Yes, it does help… but not all that much.

Crosswind capability is just short of outstanding. While we didn't have much more than 8-10 knots to deal with, it was plenty obvious that the rudder would keep things straight no matter what, and (with a slight bank into the wind) that truly massive crosswinds could be easily dealt with. In our flights in the CS version of the bird, we've seen the DA40 dispatch a direct 18-20 kt cross with no worries whatsoever.

My first try at landing the DA40 was hysterical… I came in at least 15 knots too fast, flaps up, to try a clean landing that never seemed to slow down…leading to Campbell's infamous "save face and go-around" test… on purpose, of course (that's my story and I'm sticking to it). Using 80 knots on the downwind, 70-75 knots on base and 65-70 knots on the final with a bit of slip to control any speed build-up, the proceedings went much better.. though the DA40 does exhibit a pronounced tendency to float. With flaps down, that float is killed off appreciably, though a bit more flap extension might be just what the bird needs to keep the drag profile more manageable and kill off residual floating in ground effect.

With proper speed management though, the bird will definitely get itself stopped and off the runway in as little as 1000 feet (no kidding, I did it once I quit playing speedy Gonzalez and trying to float all the way to Hoboken). Braking action is good and the rudder handles most directional chores all by its lonesome, until one decelerates to a slow walk and differential braking may become necessary.  

ANN Test Pilot's Summary

OK… we really enjoyed this airplane. Were we a flight school in need of a dual role rental bird… something that could be rented out to local pilots or used for primary and instrument training (especially for schools using Diamond's outstanding two seaters-the best side-by-siders in GA, for the moment); we'd be hard-pressed to find anything better. As a lease-back bird, it makes excellent sense to an owner looking to amortize the bird as efficiently as possible since the critter was engineered extensively to be easy (and cheap) to maintain.. and still be useful as a business or family flyer. We really liked the bird and while we like the CS equipped DA40 a little more (for our own purposes), we can't think of a straight-legged four seater that offers more value for the dollar, in a flight-school/leaseback role, than the FP. It's a hell of a well-designed airplane-and best of all, it's supported by a maturing company that will be a BIG part of the GA world for years to come.

Oh yeah… it's a ball to fly, boasts some truly sweet control harmonies, and the visibility underneath that canopy is an E-ticket ride that no one should miss… what a great way to see the world. We had fun with this airplane.

Pros: Very mature design with excellent handling and customer support. Great visibility. Very efficient. Convenient back seat access - with a separate door! Excellent engine cooling. Incredibly maintenance-friendly. G1000 panel is one of the best overall EFIS installations we've seen… especially due to positioning of backup instrumentation.

Cons: T-tail hard to pre-flight, seat belts need slight re-apportionment, slippery on landing if speeds are not adhered to carefully...

Next: ANN will be publishing flight test data and research from our flights in the new Cirrus SR22-G2 and the recently certificated Lancair Columbia 400 over the next several days… don't miss them!

FMI: www.diamondair.com