The Chinese owned, Austrian-based aircraft manufacturer, Diamond Aircraft brought a new aircraft to this year’s Paris Airshow.
The Dart-750 is the latest variant of the Diamond Aircraft Reconnaissance Trainer aircraft. It is powered by a 750shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-25C turboprop and only made its first flight on 12 June this year from the company’s airfield in Weiner Neustadt, Austria.
The PT6A drives a five-blade composite propeller and gives the aircraft a top speed of 265 knots (490km/h) and the all composite airframe is stressed for +6/-4g loads and a maximum dive speed of Mach 0.6. Its large fuel tank has a capacity of 165 US gallons/625-litres enabling the Dart-750 to fly up to 810 nautical miles (1,500km). The 9ft 5 in (2.87m) wide landing gear and low stall speed enables the aircraft to land in 1,300 ft (400m) on unpaved surfaces.
The aircraft on display was equipped with Garmin G3000 avionics and 14 inch displays, and the spacious tandem seat cockpit fitted with optional Martin-Baker Mk.16 ejection seats. Fixed seats are also offered.
Certification in planned to be achieved by the end of next year and the Alsim FNPT II simulator is being offered by Diamond as part of a training system package.
Diamond also displayed the latest version of Diamond’s twin diesel-engined DA-62 Multi-Purpose Platform (MMP) named the Vanguard. Designed for environmental surveillance, the Vanguard is powered by two Austro AE330 turbocharged diesel engines.
The latest customer for the DA-62 MMP is 2Excel, a UK specialist air service company that plans to use two of its three aircraft equipped with the Trakka TC-375 sensor being delivered, for monitoring illegal immigrants attempting to cross the English Channel.
by David Oliver
