Premier Aircraft Sales at Addison, TX had an open house featuring the new DA-42 and the road tour of the new D-Jet. Here's some pictures, first of the DA-42:

The DA-42 is the first new General Aviation twin to be introduced in a long time, and is unique in several areas, not the least of which is it's twin Thielert Centurion DIESEL engines (which means it burns Jet-A).  It would be more appropriate to say it sips Jet fuel, using only a miserly 8.8 gph TOTAL (4.4 per engine!) at 60% power, or 12.5 gph TOTAL at 80% power.  And Jet fuel is cheaper than 100LL, so the savings add up even further.  With a FADEC engine control system, the pilot has a single power lever to push--not three levers (throttle/prop/mixture) to manage as in older designs.



The aircraft features an easy entry glass bubble cockpit which provides excellent visibility.  I imagine it could be awkward in the rain, though!  Might want to board up in the hangar and have a tug pull you out if it was really coming down outside.

 
The DA-42 features the G1000 glass panel avionics system, bringing airline-like screens to general aviation pilots.  The Diamond aircraft have one of the most logical placements for the backup instruments--front and center, and up high, rather than down by your knees like some other aircraft manufacturers.

 

I wish they had one of the engines uncowled, and mentioned this.  The rep said "That's a good idea!  We should have done that!"  This view gives you some idea of the engine size.

 
A view down the wing.  Smooth.  No rivets, due to the fiberglass construction.  This wing has no life limit, with a dual spar for extra safety.  The winglets on the tips are very modern looking, besides adding some aerodynamic efficiencies. 

 
It sits up high, a nice posture!

 
Nose wheel...

 
... and nose wheel well and gear extension/retraction assembly.  You can see the carbon fiber shell in the background (from the weave).


A large nose baggage area can hold 66 pounds of luggage. 

 

Following are some close-up cockpit views... I'll stop talking so you can enjoy the view and imagine yourself pushing the buttons.  :-)

 

 

(OK, I have to say something here).  The DA-42 Twin Star does not have a typical engine run-up procedure before takeoff.  No "increase RPM to 2000, check mags, carb heat, etc."  Instead, you push the black ECU engine test buttons at idle, and the computers (two per engine) do a complete diagnostic.  If all is well, that is annunciated, and the "run up" is done.  Cool, eh!?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, now moving on to the D-Jet.  I was really impressed by this plane (mockup).


 

How's that for forward baggage access and capacity?

 
Dual inlets on both sides feed the single Williams jet engine.

 
 


 
Wanna-be jet pilots...

 
 

Clamshell passenger door with built-in steps for boarding.

 

There is a rear baggage area as well.


 

 

 
Views of the business end.

 
 

 
 
Overhead lighting console.


 
Sorry for the blurry pictures to follow; the camera's battery was dying and couldn't focus very well.

 

The Garmin key-pad entry system means you can enter flight plans and waypoints without twiddling knobs.  Notice at the front of the console the parking brake and gust lock levers in their stowed positions... later I take a photo of what they look like deployed.

 
Engine instrumentation and cabin pressure indications on the MFD.


 Now me, pretending to be a Jet pilot.  (I could get used to this!)  Angel Flights in STYLE.

 

 
Everyone was looking at the ceiling while sitting in the back... the head room was amazing.  I am 6'2 and still had a good foot over my head, and the cabin sidewall wasn't close to my skull as it wrapped up over the top.  The only "bad" thing to me is that the back seat is a bench... while the jet is billed as a 5-seater, that's when the center console (where this gentleman's elbow is) is swung up and stowed; and then it's three abreast seating.  Would work for 3 kids, but not three teenagers or adults without being VERY snug.

For two adults, however, the back seats were amazingly comfortable, with tons of leg and head room.  I think the jet is really, more realistically, a 4-person plane, especially considering it's full-fuel payload is only in the 550-pound range (the DA-42 I showed you above had an 800+ full fuel payload).

 
Good human factors engineering here... when you flip the parking brake and gust lock levers up, they show quite clearly, in RED, that you've got something the way you don't want it to be for takeoff or operations.