A multi-engine, instrument rated pilot, James Wynbrandt has been an AIN and Business Jet Traveler contributor since 2003. His in-depth reporting and insightful features have won more than a dozen editorial honors, including two National Business Aviation Association Gold Wing Awards (2019; 2021), and his articles have also appeared in the New York Times, Barron’s, Fortune, Forbes, and Smithsonian Air &amp; Space. He has flown his Mooney M20K 252 on assignments throughout North and Central America and the Caribbean. Wynbrandt is also the author of Flying High (Wiley &amp; Sons), a biography of Jet Blue founder David Neeleman, as well as histories, references works, and books on a variety of other topics from major publishers. He lives in New York City.

Contributor - Business Aviation

James Wynbrandt

Composite aircraft manufacturer Diamond Aircraft (Chalet S5) is displaying at the Dubai Airshow&nbsp;its twin-diesel-powered DA62 MPP (Multi-Purpose Platform)&nbsp;and the DA40 NG, its four-place diesel-powered light single.&nbsp;

 


The Austria-headquartered, Chinese-owned company—represented at Dubai World Central by its Canada and Airborne Sensing divisions—alights at Al Maktoum International Airport following October’s unveiling of a new version of the DA62, aimed at the survey market, and the first flight of the upgraded version of the five-place DA50 equipped with a CD-300 diesel engine and retractable landing gear.

 


The surveyor version of the DA62 aims to compete with the all-metal airframes that currently dominate the survey market. The variant replaces the DA62’s standard seat bench with two individual pilot seats divided by a console and moved rearward by 70 mm (2.76 inches), increasing pilot&nbsp;comfort and room for movement. The console accommodates standard Dzus-mounted units or tailor-made applications. The survey configuration also eliminates the right-hand operator&nbsp;seat from the rear station, and survey cameras and stabilization mounts are integrated within the cabin&nbsp;to avoid compromising the aircraft’s aerodynamic characteristics. Offered with “a strong and modern European state-of-the-art survey configuration,” its low noise signature, top-mounted exhaust systems, and low fuel burn fit perfectly to the idea to operate silently and environmentally friendly, according to the company. Meanwhile, the rear luggage area provides room for installing additional mission equipment like data storage units and other systems.

 


Certification of the DA62 survey platform as a major change supplemental type certificate is expected in mid-2020.

 


The upgraded DA50, which will have a redesigned, luxurious interior along with a 300-hp Continental CD-300 diesel engine and retractable undercarriage, was announced at April’s annual Aero Friedrichshafen show. During last month’s first flight of the reconfigured platform, “All systems were working as expected,” said Sören Pedersen, head of flight test, who piloted the aircraft with Niko Daroussis.

 


The DA50 is aimed at the upper end of the piston general aviation market as well as charter operators looking for a lower-cost alternative to turboprop singles. Basic certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency&nbsp;is anticipated in summer 2020.

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