DA42-VI vs BRS

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H60 pilot

Re: DA42-VI vs BRS

Post by H60 pilot »

-Dave, congrats on the 62 purchase. That's a lot of airplane, and money. Please if you don't mind share on the forum what motivated the purchase. On paper I recall the 42 having similar, or better, performance numbers. Other than being significantly larger I didn't know what the attractiveness of the 62 was? Sweet plane for sure though :thumbsup:

-scguest, single engine failures of a 42/62 or a 40? I suspect single engine failures of a Diamond twin, if they happen at all, have exceedingly happy endings for the pilot and passengers. I've never heard or read of a single one. That's not to say they don't happen with the Austro power plant, but I suspect these incidents go unreported.
The Lycoming power plant in the DA40 has been a great performer. I'm not aware of a single engine failure for these 40s in all of the model's existence. Pretty spectacular if you ask me. The 40s I fly are from a small fleet of three Diamond aircraft in Honolulu. The engines, and plane for that matter, get absolutely hammered by students and CFI's alike. It would otherwise seem the FBO is in a competition to be first to break an IO-360-M1A and I think they're well on their way. I fly these DA40's hundreds of miles across the open ocean, to include at night on rare occasion, and they've given me absolutely no cause for concern. Not a second's pause or moment of intermittent terror, this Lycoming engine runs as reliably as my General Electric 701D turbines. In fact the FBO claims the Lycoming engine is the only major component on the aircraft that doesn't require special or recurring attention, citing the Garmin avionics, airframe and interior as problematic.
The history of the 40NG has been mixed, as this model encompasses 100% of in-flight engine failures and stall-spin accidents to my knowledge. I suspect these unfortunate occurrences aren't entirely material failure, but in large parts pilot error. And a fun factoid helping pilots make god awful mistakes is Diamond's awesome instrument panels. I'd like to throat punch the idiot who designed them, but I've a hunch the perpetrator was of the monkey variety, and I don't hurt animals. But seriously though . . . what the hell? Diamond certainly makes it obvious what areas in their models receive absolutely no attention, none at all. Their instrument panels look like somebody through rocker switches against a wall to see what would stick. But who am I to complain? The worst that's happened to me is bumping the master panel switch off in flight, in IMC, at night . . .
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ultraturtle
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Re: DA42-VI vs BRS

Post by ultraturtle »

(2-1) > (1-1)

Just sayin...
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Colin
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Re: DA42-VI vs BRS

Post by Colin »

(I am so jealous of your DA62.)
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Re: DA42-VI vs BRS

Post by dgger »

CFIDave wrote:
scguest wrote:How confident are you guys about the AE300? Thx
- Personally confident enough to ferry a DA42-VI across the cold N. Atlantic without wearing an immersion suit.
Let me high-jack this threat for a moment as this one really surprises me.

Clearly there are factors other than the engines that impact flight safety. One that I worried a lot about (but that might very well be a personal obsessions) is the hydraulic system. The reason: there is no redundancy here and loosing the hydraulic system (or even just the pump) will - unlike an engine failure - seriously impact range, if the gear falls. A troubling scenario. In particular over a large body of cold water...

Has anyone ever experienced any issues with the hydraulic system?
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Re: DA42-VI vs BRS

Post by Colin »

Without wearing the suit, but you had it on board, right? So if your gear dropped and range was horrible, you'd be in the suit before you got to the ocean?

Diamond's ferry pilot told someone he dropped the seat back and took a nap sometimes over the north atlantic. (I've told people the same thing about flights SMO – PDX, but I was pulling their leg to see how gullible they were.)
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Re: DA42-VI vs BRS

Post by carym »

Colin wrote: Diamond's ferry pilot told someone he dropped the seat back and took a nap sometimes over the north atlantic.
He'd have trouble in the "older" DA42's, as their seats don't articulate, they are fixed. There have been many times that I had wished my seat back was able to drop down, especially when I "had" to use the little red bottle :scream:
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Re: DA42-VI vs BRS

Post by scguest »

Thanks guys, I feel more comfortable now with the DA42, should fly one (first demo) before July. I wish, though, that Diamond should offer eSafe and the NXi. Do you guys know what happened with eSafe? When I fly with my son I want to be able to tell him that if I get hit by a bird and loose consciousness then he can simply push a button instead of die. I know, it only happens to others so maybe I worry too much. Thanks again
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Re: DA42-VI vs BRS

Post by Colin »

I am working on a laminated document for Pilot Incapacitation, I'll let you know when I'm done. But working it out a little while crossing the country, it's more than one button push, but nothing that is critical immediately. (I am on autopilot as soon as we are wheels up and until I am in the pattern.) The big difference between the DA42 and DA40 is that there are hours and hours to get on the ground safely.

Communicate, get on an ILS to a big huge airport, gear down on short final, ready on the brakes. You probably would survive even if you didn't turn off the autopilot. I *think* it would put the wheels on the ground. Dave?
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Re: DA42-VI vs BRS

Post by CFIDave »

Send your "significant other" to an AOPA "pinch hitter's" course if they're worried about pilot incapacitation (or buy a Cirrus with a 'chute ;) ).

I think it would take a lot of skill, concentration, and luck for a non-pilot to follow instructions and get the airplane down safely. They'd have to know how to use the radio, work the flight controls, throttle -- much of the stuff we had to learn in becoming pilots.
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scguest

hold

Post by scguest »

Have guys heard about eSafe (supposedly you push a button and the plane lands by itself, arguably perhaps safer than BRS when pilot becomes incapacitated)? New DA62 buyers, did you inquire about that feature before buying? That seems like a great safety feature to me. Thanks.
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