Wed 29 JUL: DA42 NG FLIES ACROSS THE ATLANTIC
PUBLISHED: 10:43 29 July 2009 | UPDATED: 14:00 10 October 2012
Austro engined DA42 twin makes a successful crossing
DIAMOND'S newly certified DA42 NG, powered by two Austro
Engine AE300 170 hp turbo-diesel powerplants, has been flown across the
Atlantic to the Oshkosh air show EAA AirVenture 2009.Piloted
by Martin Scherrer, Manager of Flight Operations at Diamond Airborne
Sensing, the flight from Diamond’s headquarters in Wiener Neustadt,
Austria to it's facility in London, Ontario, Canada took 27.5 hours total,
flown in 7 legs ranging from 3 to 4.5 hours over 2.5 days. Fuel stops
included Dortmund, Germany – Wick, Scotland – Reykjavik, Iceland –
Narsarsuaq, Greenland – Goose Bay and Quebec, Canada.“The engines
maintained the performance to the desired altitude (FL140) without
degradation of power, which was very helpful when climbing through
icing layers on the way up. The flight was performed without any
problems whatsoever, with the engines running very smooth and stable,”
said Martin Scherrer. “The flight was very pleasant. The low noise and
vibration levels reduce fatigue, the seats with memory foam inserts,
adjustable lumbar support and backrests are very ergonomic and the new
taller canopy and electrically adjustable rudder pedals accommodated my
6’7” height comfortably.”All flights were flown at FL 140, at 65%
power, 155 KTAS, with a fuel burn of only 5.6 gph per engine. The
aircraft is a stock DA42 NG, without ferry tanks.