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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 1256.PDF
A2 Twin | centre of gravity, compared with the rimum 1,700kg. All limits were to be ered to, including a never-exceed speed 97kt and a generous positive g limit of flaps up, or 2 flaps mid/down, and a ative g limit of -1.5. The prototype was ;d with a g meter. ;round inspection was simple and ightforward, but the single locking :h for each baggage compartment door the nose needs to be checked thor- hly to prevent inadvertent opening in tit. Production aircraft will have an section panel in each nacelle to allow pilot to check engine oil level. ;ockpit entry is via a small step just ler the wing root and grab handles ve the cabin windows to climb on to a l-slip walkway strip on the wing. Each it can enter from his own side, but pas- gers only from the left side. The for d-hinged clamshell cockpit canopy is rmous and you tend to step into the The DA42 seems to combine the body of a racing car with the image of a motorglider seat from above rather than from the side. It seemed a pity that, with a canopy that would put an F-16 to shame, Diamond has chosen to paint a large fixed sunscreen on to the perspex to shade the occupants. This restricts visibility when manoeuvring. Field of view From the left seat, field of view was excel lent all the way around to the horizontal stabiliser above the fin, with the winglet providing an excellent reference. But the view over the nose was restricted, for a number of reasons. Compared with the DA40, the DA42 has a higher glareshield to accommodate a horizontal row of standby flight instruments above the Garmin screens. The seats, while comfortable, are fixed to the floor for crashworthiness and have no vertical or lumbar adjustment. Seat cushions were available, but I find that an inelegant solution for such an advanced aircraft and hope the seating position in the production DA42 will be as good as in the DA40. Rudder-pedal position was adjustable and the car-type three-point seat belts were comfortable to wear and easy to use. Storage nets on the cockpit walls secure small personal items. Each pilot has a fighter-like central stick, about 250mm (lOin) high, positioned at the front face of the seat. This makes for a clean and uncluttered cockpit floor and avoids the pilot's hand obscuring any of the instruments. Pre-start checks were simple. Inserting the ignition key brought up a caption on the screen confirming the diesel glow plugs were energised. Engine start and propeller rotation was instantaneous, with the "glow" caption disappearing, accompanied by a distinct change in engine tone, after about 5s. The key could then be released, with the propeller stabilising at around 900RPM. Total time to start is 7-8s. The other engine sequence is identical, but care is needed to i.f lightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 13-19 JULY 2004 87
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