Diamond Debuts DA50 Retract Single

On Thursday, June 25, Diamond Aircraft Industries announced the latest update to its single-engine piston airplane line, the DA50 RG—the five-seat version of the DA50 in a retract formulation. Like others in its family, the airplane will be powered by a diesel powerplant, the Continental CD-300 turbocharged, fadec engine, with a max power output of 300 hp (270 hp maximum continuous power).

The latest DA50 is projected to make a top speed of 181 knots (at ISA, 16,000 feet msl, and 1,700-kgs weight), climb to a maximum operating altitude of 20,000 feet, and boast a useful load of 1,232 pounds. Its max range will be around 750 nm (with a 30-minute reserve), and fuel consumption while in those parameters will be about 9 gph. With a takeoff distance (at sea level, over a 50-foot obstacle) of 2,427 feet and a landing distance of 2,100 feet (also at sea level, over a 50-foot obstacle), the 4,407-lb airplane can find a home in a number of applications.

Through its social media channels, the company said, “We’d like to say thank you to everyone who was involved in the development of our DA50 RG—especially to our Production and Design department. Your dedication and hard work have left everyone in utter amazement in our company. Our special thanks also go out to Kirk Smith, the winner of the DA50 Design Competition, who came up with this stunning paint scheme and to Knud Tiroch who supported us with the execution of Kirk’s design. Thank you all for inspiring us.”