My partner’s cousin Laurent, an aeronautical engineer and instructor pilot, gave us the pleasure in November 2006 of flying a DA42, a jewel of a twin-engine Austrian carbon aircraft. Having flown the Hanuman, I can say that it’s easier to fly than a microlight!
The Diamond Aircraft DA42 Twin Star is an Austrian light aircraft derived from the single-engine Diamond DA40D. It was the first twin-engine aircraft to use a diesel engine that also ran on kerosene: the advantage being very low fuel consumption (around 18 liters/hour/engine). Its low operating costs enabled a new low-cost cab service to emerge, costing approximately three times less than the old business jets.
Manufacturer’s website: https: //www.diamondaircraft.com/en/private-owners/aircraft/da42/overview/
The weather was fickle that morning, and the mist didn’t lift. Laurent and I headed for the Ancenis flying club north of Nantes to get the plane out of its hangar. After waiting 2 hours for more clement weather, we finally took off to join our respective wives in St Nazaire. A trip over the Gulf of Morbihan, then a stopover in La Baule, before returning to Ancenis in the afternoon. A great family outing!
Some photos of our outing
