Diamond DA-40 headroom

[[email protected][_1_]]

I had a chance to fly a DA-40 Diamond Star quite a bit over the
holidays, to give some young eagles rides to kids in the family. After
flying this plane, I'd have to say I much prefer it to either the 172
or Archer. The only downside I found was that the headroom in the front
seats is just barely enough for me with a headset on. None of the seats
have any adjustments, but I was wondering if any DA-40 owners have
modified the seat cushions to get any additional height. If there is a
way to do this, then the DA-40 may have potential as a more practical
replacement to the warbird I'm flying now (when I have to give it up in
a few years).

Thanks,
Eric Bartsch
1959 Pilatus P3-05
http://www.hometown.aol.com/bartscher/P3A848.html

[[email protected]]

wrote:
> I had a chance to fly a DA-40 Diamond Star quite a bit over the
> holidays, to give some young eagles rides to kids in the family. After
> flying this plane, I'd have to say I much prefer it to either the 172
> or Archer. The only downside I found was that the headroom in the front
> seats is just barely enough for me with a headset on. None of the seats
> have any adjustments, but I was wondering if any DA-40 owners have
> modified the seat cushions to get any additional height. If there is a
> way to do this, then the DA-40 may have potential as a more practical
> replacement to the warbird I'm flying now (when I have to give it up in
> a few years).
>
> Thanks,
> Eric Bartsch
> 1959 Pilatus P3-05
> http://www.hometown.aol.com/bartscher/P3A848.html

I'm also quite interested in DA-40, and will proabably find a rental in
the San Francisco bay area to try out next year.
What is the "usual" cruise speed you can practically get in DA-40 ?
I can only do ~110 kts in the 172 I train in, even though the POH lists
122kts cruise speed.

[[email protected][_1_]]

I was seeing about 135kts at altitude while cruising. You may be
interested in the following website with a review of the DA40 by an
owner (who now owns a Cirrus SR-20):

http://philip.greenspun.com/flying/diamond-da40

Visibility is much better than in a 172, in addition to the higher
cruise speed.

> I'm also quite interested in DA-40, and will proabably find a rental in
> the San Francisco bay area to try out next year.
> What is the "usual" cruise speed you can practically get in DA-40 ?
> I can only do ~110 kts in the 172 I train in, even though the POH lists
> 122kts cruise speed.- Hide quoted text -- Show quoted text -

[BT]

Was that 135IAS? last I flew a DA-40-180, we had 145KTAS at 10,500MSL
BT

> wrote in message
ps.com...
>I was seeing about 135kts at altitude while cruising. You may be
> interested in the following website with a review of the DA40 by an
> owner (who now owns a Cirrus SR-20):
>
> http://philip.greenspun.com/flying/diamond-da40
>
> Visibility is much better than in a 172, in addition to the higher
> cruise speed.
>
>> I'm also quite interested in DA-40, and will proabably find a rental in
>> the San Francisco bay area to try out next year.
>> What is the "usual" cruise speed you can practically get in DA-40 ?
>> I can only do ~110 kts in the 172 I train in, even though the POH lists
>> 122kts cruise speed.- Hide quoted text -- Show quoted text -
>

[[email protected][_1_]]

My recollection was that I saw cruise speeds in the mid to high 130s
but not as high as 140kts (If I average my upwind & downwind
performance). I wasn't really pushing it though with a high speed
cruise, since I wasn't going far. On a different topic, does anyone
know what Diamond changed in the DA40XL to achieve the upgraded
performance numbers? I believe they are claiming a cruise of 158kts on
the XL. I'm assuming this required a 200hp engine, a different prop, or
something significant. The basic plane is pretty clean aerodynamically
so there doesn't seem to be significant potential in cleaning it up to
get it to go faster.


On Dec 31, 12:24 pm, "BT" > wrote:
> Was that 135IAS? last I flew a DA-40-180, we had 145KTAS at 10,500MSL
> BT

[Steve C]

wrote:
....On a different topic, does anyone
> know what Diamond changed in the DA40XL to achieve the upgraded
> performance numbers? I believe they are claiming a cruise of 158kts on
> the XL. I'm assuming this required a 200hp engine, a different prop, or
> something significant. The basic plane is pretty clean aerodynamically
> so there doesn't seem to be significant potential in cleaning it up to
> get it to go faster.


New wingtips (winglets), new 3-bladed scimitar prop, powerflow exhaust.
Same engine.

Steve

[[email protected][_1_]]

Thanks, sounds like they pulled some impressive speed improvements out
of those modifications. Is Diamond planning on bringing the DA40tdi
version to the US anytime soon? I know they had delays in the DA42 with
the diesels, but those are flying in the US now and there are quite a
few of the DA40tdi flying in Europe. I believe they were working on
ensuring service centers were in place before selling too many diesels
in the US, but those plans were started quite a while ago. Does anyone
know if there is a timetable on the DA40tdi?

On Dec 31, 8:13 pm, "Steve C" > wrote:
> New wingtips (winglets), new 3-bladed scimitar prop, powerflow exhaust.
> Same engine.
>
> Steve

[[email protected]]

Steve C wrote:
> wrote:
> ...On a different topic, does anyone
> > know what Diamond changed in the DA40XL to achieve the upgraded
> > performance numbers? I believe they are claiming a cruise of 158kts on
> > the XL. I'm assuming this required a 200hp engine, a different prop, or
> > something significant. The basic plane is pretty clean aerodynamically
> > so there doesn't seem to be significant potential in cleaning it up to
> > get it to go faster.
>
>
> New wingtips (winglets), new 3-bladed scimitar prop, powerflow exhaust.
> Same engine.
>
> Steve

It will be nice if the powerflow exhaust can be available in existing
DA models,
as a factory installed option. I would like to avoid rerouting the
pipes that my
life will depend on in a 3rd party shop.

[[email protected]]

Eric,

I've got a DA40, with sheepskin seat covers, and I'm 6' 3" with a
34-35" inseam. Two things that make a differeence - taking out the seat
covers buys an extra inch, and using a lightspeed headseat (which my
partner flies with) gets you and inch on the top of the head. He's a
former Airforce fighter pilot, and Airforce instructor who flew for
Eastern, and he swears by the headset.

I find that I hit my headset the frist five or ten minutes of a flight,
then seem to "Settle in" to the seat after that.

I love the plane - she's awesome to fly for a number of reasons:
1) Incredible view outside the plane
2) G1000 system is fantastic
3) Flying with a stick seems like you're flying a "real plane"
4) Safest safety record in it's class
5) Good speed / forgiveness trade-off.

Patrick Sweeney
DA-40
242F

wrote:
> I had a chance to fly a DA-40 Diamond Star quite a bit over the
> holidays, to give some young eagles rides to kids in the family. After
> flying this plane, I'd have to say I much prefer it to either the 172
> or Archer. The only downside I found was that the headroom in the front
> seats is just barely enough for me with a headset on. None of the seats
> have any adjustments, but I was wondering if any DA-40 owners have
> modified the seat cushions to get any additional height. If there is a
> way to do this, then the DA-40 may have potential as a more practical
> replacement to the warbird I'm flying now (when I have to give it up in
> a few years).
>
> Thanks,
> Eric Bartsch
> 1959 Pilatus P3-05
> http://www.hometown.aol.com/bartscher/P3A848.html

[[email protected]]

Eric,

I've got a DA40, with sheepskin seat covers, and I'm 6' 3" with a
34-35" inseam. Two things that make a difference - taking out the seat
covers buys an extra inch, and using a lightspeed headseat (which my
partner flies with) gets you and inch on the top of the head. He's a
former Airforce fighter pilot, and Airforce instructor who flew for
Eastern, and he swears by the headset.

I find that I hit my headset the frist five or ten minutes of a flight,
then I seem to "Settle in" to the seat after that.

I love the plane - she's awesome to fly for a number of reasons:
1) Incredible view outside the plane
2) G1000 system is fantastic
3) Flying with a stick seems like you're flying a "real plane"
4) Safest safety record in it's class
5) Good speed / forgiveness trade-off.

Patrick Sweeney
DA-40
242F


wrote:
> I had a chance to fly a DA-40 Diamond Star quite a bit over the
> holidays, to give some young eagles rides to kids in the family. After
> flying this plane, I'd have to say I much prefer it to either the 172
> or Archer. The only downside I found was that the headroom in the front
> seats is just barely enough for me with a headset on. None of the seats
> have any adjustments, but I was wondering if any DA-40 owners have
> modified the seat cushions to get any additional height. If there is a
> way to do this, then the DA-40 may have potential as a more practical
> replacement to the warbird I'm flying now (when I have to give it up in
> a few years).
>
> Thanks,
> Eric Bartsch
> 1959 Pilatus P3-05
> http://www.hometown.aol.com/bartscher/P3A848.html

[[email protected][_1_]]

I think the extra inch is what I would need to keep from bumping the
headset against the canopy. Also, my current headset isn't exactly
small (Telex 50D) but it is really quiet. I'll have to look at the
cushion next time I'm in a DA40.

Thanks,
Eric Bartsch
1959 Pilatus P3-05
http://www.hometown.aol.com/bartscher/P3A848.html



On Jan 1, 11:24 am, wrote:
> Eric,
>
> I've got a DA40, with sheepskin seat covers, and I'm 6' 3" with a
> 34-35" inseam. Two things that make a differeence - taking out the seat
> covers buys an extra inch, and using a lightspeed headseat (which my
> partner flies with) gets you and inch on the top of the head. He's a
> former Airforce fighter pilot, and Airforce instructor who flew for
> Eastern, and he swears by the headset.
>
> I find that I hit my headset the frist five or ten minutes of a flight,
> then seem to "Settle in" to the seat after that.
>
> I love the plane - she's awesome to fly for a number of reasons:
> 1) Incredible view outside the plane
> 2) G1000 system is fantastic
> 3) Flying with a stick seems like you're flying a "real plane"
> 4) Safest safety record in it's class
> 5) Good speed / forgiveness trade-off.
>
> Patrick Sweeney
> DA-40
> 242F
>

[almostthere]

I'd love to see 135kts in a Diamond...if I can only get the east coast rep
who's been promising a demo to come through!
> wrote in message
ps.com...
>I was seeing about 135kts at altitude while cruising. You may be
> interested in the following website with a review of the DA40 by an
> owner (who now owns a Cirrus SR-20):
>
> http://philip.greenspun.com/flying/diamond-da40
>
> Visibility is much better than in a 172, in addition to the higher
> cruise speed.
>
>> I'm also quite interested in DA-40, and will proabably find a rental in
>> the San Francisco bay area to try out next year.
>> What is the "usual" cruise speed you can practically get in DA-40 ?
>> I can only do ~110 kts in the 172 I train in, even though the POH lists
>> 122kts cruise speed.- Hide quoted text -- Show quoted text -
>
>

[Dave[_5_]]

wrote:
> Eric,
>
> I've got a DA40, with sheepskin seat covers, and I'm 6' 3" with a
> 34-35" inseam. Two things that make a differeence - taking out the seat
> covers buys an extra inch, and using a lightspeed headseat (which my
> partner flies with) gets you and inch on the top of the head.

Betcha I would scrape the underside of the canopy. I'm 5-11 with a
29-inch inseam (short legs and long trunk). I just barely make it in a
Cessna 182 (with DC headset). Someday I will find out how I fit in a
DA-40.

David Johnson