Diamond Aircraft DA50 first flight with retractable gear

On 28 October 2019 Diamond Aircraft's single-engine 5-seater DA50, equipped with Continental CD-300 engine made its first flight with retractable gear piloted by Soren Pedersen and Niko Daroussis.

In April 2019 at AERO Friedrichshafen, Diamond Aircraft announced changes on the DA50 program, including a new engine concept with the 300 hp Continental CD-300 and retractable gear.

Soren Pedersen, Head of Flight Test, Diamond Aircraft Austria: "The first flight was conducted by the crew as planned and all systems were working as expected. Since all new elements are already well known from other aircraft out of the Diamond aircraft family, the DA50 made a very mature impression from the first lift off on. A first cruise performance test point showed that the expectation could be met easily. The DA50 showed a good agility and an "easy to fly" behavior, meaning that the handling qualities were very satisfying on the first impression."

The all carbon fibre DA50 with an extra-large luxurious cabin and excellent payload will be ideal for single piston pilots needing more seats and space and for charter operators looking for a low cost alternative.

Diamond Aircraft is aiming for basic certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for the 5-seat version equipped with CD-300 engine and retractable gear in Summer 2020.