CEO At The Controls On Plane's Second Flight

After the successful first flight of its new D-Jet on April 18, Diamond hasn't let the plane settle on the ground for long. Instead, the company has continued an aggressive flight test program with additional flights on April 19, 20 and 21 to further expand the speed envelope and continue evaluation of handling characteristics.

In fact, Diamond tells ANN that company CEO Christian Dries (below) was able to evaluate the jet personally, on its second flight on April 19 (proving once again that it's good to be the boss -- Ed).

"I was particularly impressed by the feeling of space, security and solidity. The simplicity of operation, from engine start through take-off, flight and landing was very obvious and reflects my vision of what a personal jet should be," Dries said after the 53-minute flight. "The Williams engine performed flawlessly and in combination with the high L/D wing design, produces higher take off performance than the thrust to weight ratio might suggest. My familiarity with the Garmin G1000 in the DA40 and DA42 made the transition to the D-JET avionics suite very natural."

"Our personal jet balances big airplane comfort, realistic acquisition and operating cost with practical performance for private pilots ­ the response since our first flight has been tremendous and we look forward to continuing the development to bring this aircraft to market," Dries added.

First announced by Diamond Aircraft in January 2003, the single-engine Diamond "D-Jet" is powered by a single Williams FJ-33 turbofan, an engine also used in the upcoming twin-engine Adams A700 and ATG Javelin. The five-passenger D-Jet is expected to cruise at a maximum speed of 315 knots, at an altitude of 25,000 ft while offering range of 1,351nm -- which translates to a decidedly un-jetlike fuel burn around 34 gallons per hour.

The composite aircraft features a Garmin G1000 glass cockpit, which in basic configuration features a dual screen PFD / MFD with integrated GFC 700 autopilot. The optional enhanced avionics package adds a massive 15" MFD to the two 10" PFD's, a glare shield mounted autopilot controller for the GFC 700 and a center console mounted FMS controller.

The system features dual AHRS, dual magnetometers, dual GPS, dual Com, dual Nav, dual Mode S transponders, and dual audio panels.

FMI: www.diamondair.com