17 May 2016
+VIDEO Diamond Aircraft has diversified yet again with the first flight of its new civil and military turboprop trainer, the DART-450. The aircraft reached speeds up to 200kt during the first 60 minutes of flight and is expected to have a top speed of 250 knots.
The DART-450 (Diamond Aircraft Reconnaissance Trainer) is the world’s first all-carbon fibre, tandem 2-seat, civilian and military trainer with a sidestick and pneumatic ejection seats, said Diamond. It is aerobatic with limits of +7/-5 g. It’s equipped with the Ivchenko-Progress Motor Sich AI-450S turboprop engine producing maximum take-off power of 500shp, fitted with a 5-blade MT propeller. Avionics are Garmin.
Within the first 60 minutes of flight time, speeds between 60 to 200 knots IAS were flown at various altitudes. Expected top speed is 250 knots TAS. Maximum endurance of the DART is 8 hours plus reserve.
“Company Chief Test Pilot Ingmar Mayerbuch and Flight Test Engineer Thomas Wimmer have been so excited about the first results that certification and serial production is green-lighted,” said Christian Dries, CEO Diamond Aircraft.
Diamond Aircraft Chief Designer Clemens Knappert said, “We achieved our target from the first drawings to the first flight in one year. I’m already excited about what comes next.”
https://youtu.be/By4GxEb6s54
