Just returned from DiamondFest

[City Dweller[_1_]]

Just returned from London, Ontario where we spent a weekend at DiamondFest,
an anual event at the Diamond Aircraft factory. And boy, was it some show!

The D-JET is real! I touched and smelled it. I also saw it take off, buzz
around the field and land, twice. I even sat at the controls, not of the
actual airplane but a mockup, they don't let anyone inside the real one yet.
This baby cruises at 315 kt and seats 5 easy, with the price tag is around
1M. Very quiet too, for a jet. What a great, magnificent machine!

The Twin Star was also a big hit. This twin cruises at around 170kt, and
burns Jet-A fuel at an astonishing 12 GPH or less. The price tag is slightly
less than 500K.

Christian Dries (pronounced "Dreeze"), the Diamond owner and CEO was there,
of course. The guy is like a modern Howard Hughes, full of ideas, vision and
energy.

Also had the pleasure to see and listen to Phil Boyer, the AOPA president.
Among other things, he gave the audience some unsettling statistics: GA is
in trouble because the supply of new private pilots has all but dried up. He
called on everyone to be proactive in recruiting and, most importantly,
*mentoring* new student pilots among friends, co-workers and family members.
Mentoring essentially means nudging 'em to take an intro flight, and then
begging 'em not to drop out when they start practicing stalls.

All in all, this was the most memorable aviation-related experience I ever
had. Diamond is truly a company with vision, taking the General Aviation
fleet to a qualitatively new level.

-- City Dweller, Diamond Star DA-40 owner.

-------------------
P.S. I am now quite proficient in theUS-Canadian border crossing procedure.
If anyone is interested, I can post the details of my flight from CDW to
CYXU and back, CYXY -> BUF -> CDW.

[Jay Honeck]

> The D-JET is real! I touched and smelled it. I also saw it take off, buzz
> around the field and land, twice. I even sat at the controls, not of the
> actual airplane but a mockup, they don't let anyone inside the real one yet.
> This baby cruises at 315 kt and seats 5 easy, with the price tag is around
> 1M. Very quiet too, for a jet. What a great, magnificent machine!

Out of my price range, but very cool.

> The Twin Star was also a big hit. This twin cruises at around 170kt, and
> burns Jet-A fuel at an astonishing 12 GPH or less. The price tag is slightly
> less than 500K.

Ditto above, but also very cool! Sounds like a great show. Diamond
is exactly what the market needs right now, IMHO.

> Also had the pleasure to see and listen to Phil Boyer, the AOPA president.
> Among other things, he gave the audience some unsettling statistics: GA is
> in trouble because the supply of new private pilots has all but dried up. He
> called on everyone to be proactive in recruiting and, most importantly,
> *mentoring* new student pilots among friends, co-workers and family members.

I have mentored my wife, Mary, and a couple of other folks, and it's a
very necessary -- and rewarding -- part of aviation. I had a mentor
who steered me through the formidable road-blocks that await anyone who
wanders into an airport off the street, and I'll bet most of you did,
too.

Don't just think about it -- DO IT. Get out there and actively ASK
people if they are interested in learning to fly -- an amazing number
of people say "yes!" -- but don't know how to get started. We need to
do this, or GA as we know it will be gone in another generation.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Thomas Borchert]

City,

> Christian Dries (pronounced "Dreeze"), the Diamond owner and CEO was there,
> of course. The guy is like a modern Howard Hughes, full of ideas, vision and
> energy.
>

FWIW, he is German. His family made its money (and a lot) by setting up
German/European Datsun and later Mitsubishi general dealerhips. Dries worked
there, then they all sold it, back to Mitsubishi, I believe. At the same time,
he caught the flying bug. So he bought this little motor glider company in
Austria (Hoffmann) and named it Diamond Aircraft (Mitsubishi's logo is a
diamond...). Years later, Diamond is the world's third biggest single-engine
prop manufacturer (after Cessna and Cirrus) - and arguably the most
innovative, with the Diesel singles and twin and the D-JET coming. It's
probably also the most under-reported...


--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

[Montblack[_1_]]

("City Dweller" wrote)
> All in all, this was the most memorable aviation-related experience I ever
> had. Diamond is truly a company with vision, taking the General Aviation
> fleet to a qualitatively new level.

> -------------------
> P.S. I am now quite proficient in theUS-Canadian border crossing
> procedure.
> If anyone is interested, I can post the details of my flight from CDW to
> CYXU and back, CYXY -> BUF -> CDW.


http://makeashorterlink.com/?W5FC12A6D
Great Circle Mapper: CYXU - KBUF - KCDW.


Any word on D-Jet's (Williams FJ33-4) single engine fuel burn at 25,000-ft?

It would be nice to see how the D-Jet compares, using the Spectrum 33 fuel
burn chart? Spectrum 33 has (two) FJ33-4 engines:

<http://www.spectrum.aero/downloads/competitive_analysis.pdf>
Competitive analysis Spectrum 33 vs. other Jets.

2 engines and... "4 passengers, NBAA IFR Reserves"

[300 nm]
617 lbs. is 84.1 gal ....0+53 (53 min) = 99.6 gph
(50 gph per side)

[600 nm]
688 lbs. is 98.3 gal ...1+41 (101 min) = 58.2 gph
(29 gph per side)

[1000 nm]
1,096 lbs. is 156.6 gal ....2+50 (170 min) = 55.2 gph
(28 gph per side)

[1,600 nm]
1,647 lbs. is 235.3 gal ....4+35 (275 min) = 51.6 gph
(26 gph per side)

I wonder if Diamond is hoping to get the D-Jet certified for (35K - 45K
feet) at a later date?

<http://www.diamond-air.at/download/productfacts/d_jet_factshhets.pdf>
(US Version) D-Jet:

Normal Cruise Speed .............315 kts TAS (583 km/h)
Long Range Cruise Speed ....240 kts TAS (444 km/h)

Max. Take-off Weight .............5,071 lb (2,300 kg)
Empty Weight ..........................2,590 lb (1,175 kg)
Payload at max. Fuel .................505 lb (229 kg)

Fuel Capacity .............................291 US gal (1,100 lt)

Max. Range ...............................1,351 nm (2,502 km)


Montblack

[john smith]

> Any word on D-Jet's (Williams FJ33-4) single engine fuel burn at 25,000-ft?

Thinking about changing the design specs on the Mont-jet, again, Paul?
:-))

[Montblack[_1_]]

("john smith" wrote)
>> Any word on D-Jet's (Williams FJ33-4) single engine fuel burn at
>> 25,000-ft?

> Thinking about changing the design specs on the Mont-jet, again, Paul?


I'm not sure? I NEED fuel burn numbers for the D-Jet!!!!

We're using the same (Dry weight - 300 lbs) Williams engine:

Spectrum 33 (2) ...and 415 kts @ FL450
D-Jet (1) ................and 315 kts @ FL250
MontJet (1) ............and 435 kts @ FL450 (FL510?)

Empty weight:
SP-33 ......3,620 lbs ...and 7,300 lbs MTOW
D-Jet ........2,590 lbs ...and 5,071 lbs MTOW

MontJet ....800 lbs ......and 1,800 lbs MTOW
RV-3 .........750 lbs ......and 1,100 lbs MTOW

MontJet fuel: 100 gallons (approx.) 700 lbs.
3 hrs @ 40 gal + 20 gal + 20 gal (+ 20 gal reserve)

"Again" ...these (flying SP-33 and design-phase MontJet) numbers are a
result of FiberX and some other manufacturing technique, employed by
Spectrum.

SP-33 ("single piece") Wing .........305 lbs. Tip to tip.
SP-33 Fuselage .............................309 lbs.

MontJet ("single piece") Wing .........90 lbs. Tip to tip.
MonJet (single seat) Fuselage ........60 lbs.
Williams Engine ..............................300 lbs.
Everything else ................................350 lbs.
Total Empty Weight .........................800 lbs.

<http://www.ainonline.com/Issues/12_05/12_05_spectrum_1.htm>
Some manufacturing info found here.

But first, I need to "un-help" the Spectrum 33 folks. (You know, those good
people in Utah with an actual flying prototype!)

My numbers were ALL #%^&'d UP!
Let's get this right! (Fixes inserted below)

Jet-A = 6.84 lbs/gal (That's the number I'm using, now). I was using 7.0
lbs/gal.

<http://www.spectrum.aero/downloads/competitive_analysis.pdf>
> Competitive analysis Spectrum 33 vs. other Jets.
>
> 2 engines and... "4 passengers, NBAA IFR Reserves"
>
> [300 nm]
> 617 lbs ...is 90.2 gal ....0+53 (53 min) = 102 gph
> (51 gph per side)
>
> [600 nm]
> 688 lbs. is 100.6 gal ...1+41 (101 min) = 60 gph
> (30 gph per side)
>
> [1000 nm]
> 1,096 lbs. is 160.2 gal ....2+50 (170 min) = 56.4 gph
> (28 gph per side)
>
> [1,600 nm]
> 1,647 lbs. is 240.8 gal ....4+35 (275 min) = 52.8 gph
> (26 gph per side)
>
> I wonder if Diamond is hoping to get the D-Jet certified for (35K - 45K
> feet) at a later date?
>
> <http://www.diamond-air.at/download/productfacts/d_jet_factshhets.pdf>
> (US Version) D-Jet:
>
> Normal Cruise Speed .............315 kts TAS (583 km/h)
> Long Range Cruise Speed ....240 kts TAS (444 km/h)
>
> Max. Take-off Weight .............5,071 lb (2,300 kg)
> Empty Weight ..........................2,590 lb (1,175 kg)
> Payload at max. Fuel .................505 lb (229 kg)
>
> Fuel Capacity .............................291 US gal (1,100 lt)
>
> Max. Range ...............................1,351 nm (2,502 km)


Team MontJet