Tommy wrote:Compared to the IO 360, the NG is a dog.
If so, then how were we cruising along at 150+ knots TAS yesterday on a 2 hour x-country flight in a new DA40 NG? If the plane is such a dog, with full fuel and 2 adults onboard yesterday, how were we able to maintain a 900 fpm climb all the way up to 10,000 feet?
I'm tired of reading disparaging comments about the DA40 NG from people who may not have flown one.
IMHO, the NG is a far more comfortable plane to fly than a Lycoming DA40 -- it's actually just as quiet in flight as my DA62 twin (which I flew back-to-back with the DA40 NG yesterday). The feeling you get from flying a DA40 NG reminds me mostly of flying DA42s (just as quiet and smooth, the same size cockpit, reclining seats, same single-lever power control, etc.). And unlike on Diamond twins, the heater on the NG actually works as well as the one in your car.
Last week I flew a Lycoming DA40 XLS and Austro DA40 NG back-to-back on the same day. The Lycoming feels and sounds so "truck-like" and unrefined, compared to the Austro. When you combine that with the ease of starting the engine (just turn the key even when hot), no more mixture and prop controls, no need to manage and keep your cylinder temps in check, no need for pre-heat, no cowl shake when you shut down the engine, no concern about fouling spark plugs while taxiing, etc., flying the NG is just a much more pleasurable and refined experience. With less engine noise, vibration, and harshness, you're far less fatigued after a x-country flight in a DA40 NG.
My customer who bought this particular new DA40 NG actually traded in his 2008 DA40 XLS to get it, and is very happy with his decision. Initially I wasn't entirely sure it was the right move, but now that I've got about 15 hours flying his DA40 NG (x-country and instructing multiple pilots flying around the pattern), I have to agree that it's a major step up. Around Christmas, my customer flew his new DA40 NG all the way from Boulder, CO to the Washington, DC area with 4 people onboard in 8 hours of flight time with only 1 fuel stop. Try that in your Lycoming DA40.
As a former Lycoming DA40 XLS owner (for 4 years), I'd much rather fly and own a DA40 NG.