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Diamond DA50

how much is the fuel in comparison to the asking price

Literally a lifetime quantity of fuel.

LDZA LDVA, Croatia

johnh wrote:

Most people on here seem to keep their cars for 10+ years, and think it makes sense to own an older plane too. But we’re the exceptions.

I think the new production light GA aircraft buyers of the world are the exception, offering evidence that regardless of economic level the difference between aircraft buyers and car buyers is that the average aircraft buyer is a lot smarter.

Some years ago I was working for a billionaire with a background in aviation. His choice at the time was a 25 year old King Air with 300 hrs to run on the engines, for $1.2 million. He still has it

Which is not to say that its somehow wrong to spend money on a new plane if you’ve got the other bases covered and are looking for a place to spend money.

Last Edited by Silvaire at 23 Feb 18:54

These are all the same arguments you see on different threads about cars. Buying a new car is a huge waste of money, and buyig one every two or three years is just insane, economically. But lots of people do it, probably the great majority of those who can afford to.

Same with planes, apart from an added zero on the price. Clearly the Cirrus business model is people who will replace their three year old SR22 G4 with a new G5, and so on. Most people on here seem to keep their cars for 10+ years, and think it makes sense to own an older plane too. But we’re the exceptions.

Personally if I was in the market for a new SR22, nothing on earth would persuade me to buy a jetprop conversion. “Maintenance nightmare” doesn’t even begin to describe it. If I could afford a decent TBM, maybe, though there also the running costs have an extra zero or so compared to the SR22.

In reality if I had the money for a new SR22 I’d probably buy a 10-20 year old DA40 or TB20, and keep the rest to fund my retirement or other pursuits. Which, come to thiink of it, is pretty much what I have done.

LFMD, France

Emir wrote:

poor range, not spectacularly fast,

That’s what I said. Can’t understand why they didn’t get more out of it. And then look at the empty weight. My 1970 Comanche climbs better (no surprise, because the empty weight of the DA50 corresponds to the MTOW of my Comanche), takes a lot more load, takes up to 5 passengers,cruises equal on same fuel flow, however it consumes pricey AVGAS. But then again: how much is the fuel in comparison to the asking price…if one just thinks about the loss of value per year of a DA50 you cannot eventually fly enough hours per year to compensate for that burnt money.

Last Edited by UdoR at 23 Feb 17:53
Germany

Peter wrote:

Diamond are clearly aiming at flight training

That’s quite obvious for DA40 and DA42. Even DA62 I can understand (regardless €1.7M price) because it has nice roomy & shiny cockpit (5 people pretty much fit in it while 7-seater option is questionable) and decent range and speed with pretty low fuel flow. But DA50 simply escapes me… poor range, not spectacularly fast, not easy to hand-fly, bad cockpit view and it’s appearance is question of taste – personally I don’t find it ugly but a lot of people do.

LDZA LDVA, Croatia

It’s back to the old debate of who would buy a new SR22 when a Jetprop for the same money will totally outclass it on every metric.

It’s a lot about

  • familiarity with the “piston” scene
  • not feeling you are biting off too much
  • the type specific community (not just their €300 fly-ins )
  • getting something smelling brand new and with a warranty (there are loads of people who buy new every 2 years or so)
  • most “older” pilots will do anything to avoid going on yet another European paper collection trail (the HPA Rating)

Yes the fuel flow is not great but as I keep saying there is little new in far-subsonic aerodynamics; it is mostly about cockpit volume.

But a big thing is this: Diamond’s market is all around the world. More than in the US where diesel has a somewhat bad name (generally, and not helped by the European diesel ECU cheats – look at the massive fines imposed in the US, and the head of VW will go straight to jail if he ever visits the US while European diesel owners got basically f****d). Diamond are clearly aiming at flight training and other ops in the 3rd World – echoes of Socata’s success with TBs in decades past in Malaysia, Israel, etc – which makes up most of the earth’s land surface and which mostly has no avgas. And if they have it is upwards of $4/litre, comes in drums, and you have to pay a bunch of local warlords with AK47s to sleep next to the drums (not kidding – this is real)

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

boscomantico wrote:

One speed data point here, at 3:07. It‘s blurred, but looks like 12.9 GPH and 163 KTAS at FL110.

That’s a bit disappointing, it’s on a par with the S-35 Bonanza that we had in the club when I lived in Houston, and the Bonanza is a much better looking aircraft, too! You would expect a modern slick composite design with retract gear to do better than a 1960s Bonanza.

Andreas IOM

But to be fair there are probably cases where a pilot can not easily be insured in a TBM but still wants a nice new aircraft burning JetA1.

Hull value insurance for €1.6 airframe is probably the same for anyone and I guess it’s the same for DA50 or TBM of the same value. And for TBM pilot is required to have something like 25 flight hours to be insurable AFAIK.

LDZA LDVA, Croatia

arj1 wrote:

Asking 1.64 million for this thing…

Ouch! A used TBM would cost that much…

Let me think what I would rather like to fly. But to be fair there are probably cases where a pilot can not easily be insured in a TBM but still wants a nice new aircraft burning JetA1.

www.ing-golze.de
EDAZ

He realized he made a mistake and now trying to get out with profit

I would have been a millionaire if I am able to make money out of mistakes

Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom
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