Emir wrote:
Simply, I don’t get it.
That makes us two.
I do like the diesels due to fadec giving ease of starting, operation, low consumption etc..
It’s not a hard factor (and more an ego thing) but paying a million eg for a new cirrus and then you can’t get the engine to start after a quick fuel turn around sucks.
If the Da50 had a chute, anything else wouldn’t matter, it would sell.- Avgas and Jet A are equally available in the US (the only serious market where rd could be recouped).
- US PPL prefer SEP if possible due to insurance requirements of MEP.
- Put someone used to preheating, cough starting, mixture operating in a diamond and they’ll be sold.
But again, all negligible, if only it had a chute.
I truly hope someone at Diamond figured this out and I am wrong. Diamond is close to me, it’s quite remarkable for a tiny austrian company to establish itself as a real player, I want them to succeed.
But, the 50 cannibalizes the 42. The 42 isn’t placed on the market appropriately as a Cirrus alternative. The 50 takes that role, but I don’t see how it can fulfill it.
Additionally, the diamond marketing is disgraceful.
It will be interesting years. Diamond relied a lot on training operators buying fleets. I see these sales stagnating in the future.
Snoopy wrote:
Additionally, the diamond marketing is disgraceful.
And customer support even worse.
Additionally, in the US, many won‘t buy the DA50 because it is RG. It‘s bloody expensive on insurance over there and many can‘t get insurance at all.
boscomantico wrote:
Additionally, in the US, many won‘t buy the DA50 because it is RG. It‘s bloody expensive on insurance over there and many can‘t get insurance at all.
Correct – and getting worse almost by the day. The DA 50 is DOA. Why anyone would sink money into developing that kind of dog is beyond me.
DOA ?
Jujupilote wrote:
DOA ?
I guess Dead on Arrival.
Agree with Snoopy, the diesel is of course the selling point. Fantastic (but heavy!).
It’s remarkable how long it takes Cirrus to launch a diesel alternative. Was it in 2006 there were talks about an “SR-21 TDI”? Of course a concious decision and their order book is filled (so far) any way. The day Cirrus will launch a diesel (given right specs of course), will be a very hard one for Diamond. A shame, since competition truly helps us customers. Let’s hope Diamond improves, alot of good ideas in this thread.
I guess one more thing that has really slowed down the diesel train in the US is the decline in fuel prices going on since 2013. In 2012, nobody would have thought oil prices would ever come down to such low levels for such a long time as did in fact happen over the last 8 years.
When fuel is 4 $/gallon, then the prospect of saving a couple of gallons per hour is much less relevant than when it costs 7$/gallon.
Diamond will sell a handful to Europe (where some people just prefer a more European product over an American one) and another handful to other continents. The latter will be very limited though, because where Avgas doesn’t exist, there is no market for touring SEPs. In other words, there usually is a market for SEPs only for basic airline pilot training, and for that, you really need nothing more than a DA40 (before moving to twins and then eventually to turboprops/jets).
I can’t think a diesel in itself as a major selling point.
Operation is a breeze, but it brings many drawbacks for the one keeping the maintenance and the bills (who is usually the guy taking the decisions 
) . Many owners/ex-owners here have stories to tell.
So diesel vs avgas is a matter of taste now. If Avgas goes to 3€/L and jetA remains the same, that would change (but I have a feeling avgas and jetA will be taxed the same).
The roomy cabin is a plus but to whom a Cirrus cabin isn’t big enough ? Maybe 3% of the market ?
RG and 44ft wingspan (most t-hangars are 40-42ft wide) are big killers too. And JetA is not ubiquitous at smaller GA fields.
Add to that the bad reputation of Diamond now and it is certainly a very niche aircraft.
The DA50 seems a bit French like the Rallye, TBs or some Citroens. They are awkward on prupose.
But awkwardness itself is not a selling argument 
Very personally, I am not sure the chinese ownership wants Diamond to last forever in its present shape. I have no evidence, just my gut feeling.
boscomantico wrote:
In other words, there usually is a market for SEPs only for basic airline pilot training, and for that, you really need nothing more than a DA40 (before moving to twins and then eventually to turboprops/jets).
If DA40 had the de-icing, then DA50 would have probably been non-starter at all…
DA50 needs at least a chute, which should not be a major problem to add.
And I was really expecting for it to have a chute and pressurisation, something like a four-seater diesel PA46…
PS: I still can’t get my head around the 72% empty weight for DA-50…
