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DA40

Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2019 3:35 pm
by hogster50
Hi

I currently have a DA20 and it will be sold next week. Had her for 15yrs. DA40 owners how do you like the 40? Is it under powered as one owner told me? Can it take 4 people or is it a 3 seat craft? I am aware one can reduce fuel to make weight. I flew one at Diamond fest years ago but only two people were in it. I didn't like the STEC AP on approach, hunted. I'm thinking about the NG, XL or XLS and other aircraft's as well. I see it's cruise is 147, not very fast but not bad/fuel burn. However fuel burn is not my first choice in an aircraft. I'm even considering experimental. Thanks

Re: DA40

Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2019 6:48 pm
by Colin
I had 1,600 hours in my DA40 when I sold it. It was amazing aircraft and I wrote about it being my favorite plane. I had the 40 gallon version and I had no trouble with four adults in it, but my wife is a hundred pounds. Other people can speak to that better than I can. You could get a POH from an actual plane and run a few scenarios. I was often flying my family and the boys were nearly as light as my wife or lighter for most of that decade.

ABQ was the highest/hottest airport I took off from. I didn't feel that it was underpowered.

Re: DA40

Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:28 pm
by AndrewM
If your regular mission is 4 adults, then the DA40 is probably a bit of a stretch. I had 4 adults in the other day with 30g fuel, it was within W&B and performed just fine, but it is a little "cozy" with 4 people...

Re: DA40

Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2019 11:39 pm
by Steve
With my airplane's full fuel remaining useful load of 600 #, I obviously can't put 4 standard-size adults in it, but for me, the wife, and two teenage boys plus luggage, I was never at max gross. I'v done a fair amount of flying at those weights in NM and AZ, no problem...

Steve

Re: DA40

Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 2:58 am
by Boatguy
hogster50 wrote: Sun Jul 07, 2019 3:35 pm I currently have a DA20 and it will be sold next week. Had her for 15yrs. DA40 owners how do you like the 40? Is it under powered as one owner told me? Can it take 4 people or is it a 3 seat craft? I am aware one can reduce fuel to make weight. I flew one at Diamond fest years ago but only two people were in it. I didn't like the STEC AP on approach, hunted. I'm thinking about the NG, XL or XLS and other aircraft's as well. I see it's cruise is 147, not very fast but not bad/fuel burn. However fuel burn is not my first choice in an aircraft. I'm even considering experimental. Thanks
What's your mission?

Re: DA40

Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 7:29 am
by Thomas
If you looking for one on the second hand market - best value will be a steam gauge (pre 2004). You have and will have almost any option to adopt the avionics always to the newest standard. (see all the G1000 threads in this Forum) And these airframes are the lightest DA40s ever build.
Of course, it will be difficult to find a low timer on the market. But now and then there is one … US and EU

Re: DA40

Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 7:53 am
by astaib
Thomas wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 7:29 am If you looking for one on the second hand market - best value will be a steam gauge (pre 2004). You have and will have almost any option to adopt the avionics always to the newest standard. (see all the G1000 threats in this Forum) And these airframes are the lightest DA40s ever build.
Of course, it will be difficult to find a low timer on the market. But now and then there is one … US and EU
Hi Thomas, I didn't knew that early DA40 were valuable on the second hand market, I thought that it was the opposite compare to early ones!

I have a steam gauge 2001 lyco version (SN 40.026) with 2500 hours on the airframe and only 200h on engine SMOH, but no AP.
Do you mean that it can be something that will be valuable on the market?

I don't want to sell it at all, but just interested with what you wrote.

Arnaud.

Re: DA40

Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 12:46 pm
by hogster50
Does the 40 require rudder cable replacement time out? My mission Boatguy is xcountry with wife most times, friends and fam other times. Not much of around the patch. Some short xcountries while others aprox 800-1000 mls

Re: DA40

Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 4:46 pm
by Rich
Search this forum and you’ll find everything you need to know. The wiki for this site has a number of airframes with differing useful load, from 941 lb (mine) to as low as 811. 50 gallon variants have a limited aft CG, which can be a problem for some scenarios. As a general rule, the older ones (pre-2004) are the lightest airframe with empty CG’s kind of forward, with the newer ones considerably heavier, with CG’s further aft. The PowerFlow adds considerable T/O and climb performance and improves cruise speed by several knots over what it is without. Older ones slower, newer ones faster. But I never have considered the Lyc-powered DA40’s underpowered unless you’re planning to fly in the flight levels, in which case you need a different airplane.

I fly out of a 3,250 ft. Elevation airfield, with summertime DA’s ranging from 4,500 - 6,000 ft. On the runway. Mostly myself and my wife, but occasionally there’ll be another couple on board. 2 years ago there was this flight from Spokane (KGEG) to Prineville the day before the eclipse:
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Re: DA40

Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2019 6:24 am
by perossichi
You can fly about 700 # of people and bags with full fuel. So no Walmart shoppers as passengers. Flies three very comfortably. Passengers really like the backseat as the comfort and viz are great.

It has been a wonderful plane as my first plane. Very easy to fly and a good IFR platform due to excellent climb and decent autopilot (Kap 140). The Powerflo made a large improvement in climb and ceiling. Relatively cheap to maintain without gear retraction and turbochargers to worry about and the very standard io360. Folks I know who bought old Bonanzas or Mooneys for around the same price might have gotten a faster plane but all kinds of maintenance headaches and avionics problems. I absolutely hated the spring loaded side sticks in Cirrus.

My next plane? Probably turbocharged and 200 knot plus. But I’ve flown the diamond for 500 hours in barely three years and will probably fly another 500 before moving on. Some lucky person will get a really nice plane for very cheap since I firmly believe in condition-based maintenance and not in TBOs recommended by manufacturers worried about lawsuits.