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| STANDARD DATA: (DA-40) Seats 4. Gross wt. 2,535 lbs. Empty wt. 1,641 lbs. Fuel capacity 41 gallons. Engine 180-hp Lycoming IO-360-M1A. PERFORMANCE: Cruise 145 kts. Stall 49 kts. Initial climb rate 1,070 fpm. Takeoff distance (50′) 1,150′. Landing distance (50′) 1,190′. |
Building on the success of the Katana C1, Diamond began development of the four place DA-40 Diamond Star in 1997. The all-composite airplane would not only get a spacious fuselage, but a whole new wing (39.4′). The Diamond Star not only offered a customer upgrade to the Katana, it also sent the Austrian/Canadian company deep into new territory as a single engine, four seat, general aviation competitor. By 2000, the first DA-40s were rolling off the line. The company later introduced a variant, the DA-40FP (fixed pitch propeller), and by 2004, Diamond continued its full court press by equipping the Diamond Star with all glass instrument panels.
