| DA20 | |
|---|---|
| Flying Colors Precision Flight Team (DA20-A1-K100 Katana) | |
| Role | Flight training and personal use aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Diamond Aircraft |
| Introduction | 1992 |
| Produced | 1992-present |
| Unit cost | $184,980 (2009 base price)[1] |
| Developed from | Diamond HK36 Super Dimona |
| Developed into | Diamond DA40 |
The Diamond DA20 is a two-seat tricycle gear general aviation aircraft designed for flight training. In addition to its role as a civil and military training aircraft, it is also used for personal flying by pilot-owners.[2]
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The first DA20 was the Rotax 912 powered A1 Katana produced in Canada in 1994. It was the first Diamond aircraft available for sale in North America. Production of the Continental IO-240-B3B powered C1 Evolution and Eclipse models began in 1998, also in Canada. Production of the A1 Katana is complete but the DA20-C1 is still being constructed in 2010.[3]
The DA20-A1 and C1 are both certificated under CAR 523[4] in Canada and under FAR 23 in the USA. The DA20 is certified in the utility category, and it is permissible to intentionally spin it with flaps in the full up position.[5] In 2004, Diamond received Chinese certification for the DA20. Both models also hold JAA certification.[6]
Although the DA20 is available with instrumentation and avionics suitable for flight under instrument flight rules (IFR), its plastic airframe lacks lightning protection and thus does not qualify for IFR certification.[2]
The DA20 features control sticks (as opposed to yokes), composite construction, a canopy, low-mounted wings, a single fuel tank, a T-tail, and a castering nosewheel. All models have composite airframes constructed of glass- and carbon-fiber reinforced plastic.[2] The nose wheel of the DA20 is not linked to the rudder pedals and turns while taxiing are made with differential braking, with rudder steering becoming more effective as airspeed increases.[7]
The DA20 is equipped with a bubble canopy. Small windows on either side of the canopy can be opened on the ground and in flight to provide cockpit ventilation. This canopy design, however, lets in an above-average amount of sunlight into the cockpit, increasing the cockpit's initial temperature. The DA20's seats are reclined and are not adjustable, instead the rudder pedals are adjustable fore and aft to accommodate pilots of different height. The fixed seats provide better occupant crash protection. The seats in the C1 variant have a less obtuse angle, but, like the A1, are not adjustable. Both models are available with cloth or leather seat coverings.[2]
The DA-20 possesses a higher glide ratio than many of its competitors. The glide ratio of the DA20-C1 is 11:1 and the DA20-A1 is 14:1.[8]
In November 2008 the company announced that it would be offering an Aspen Avionics glass cockpit primary flight display as an option on the DA20. Diamond indicated the Aspen PFD was easy to incorporate into the existing instrument panel design because it mounts in a standard round instrument hole. In October 2009 the company introduced the Garmin G500 glass cockpit as an option.[9]
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University provided the Academy Flight Screening (AFS) program for the United States Air Force Academy in DA20-C1 "Falcons", which were specially ordered with slightly smaller fuel tanks to save weight and primary flight instruments on the right side of the aircraft. Embry-Riddle operated a fleet of DA-20s at the Academy.[10] The AFS program was discontinued in 2007.
Doss Aviation, under contract for the US Air Force, currently operates a fleet of DA-20s at the Pueblo Memorial Airport in the Initial Flight Screening (IFS) program.[11]
Data from DA20 webpage[14]
General characteristics
Performance
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