But the airplane clearly needed more power. Landing the DA40 is a breeze. We liked the control harmonization and how easy it was to land in a crosswind.The cabin proved to be roomier than it looked with control sticks instead of panel-blocking yokes, even if they did have to be used with the wrong hand.Given its European roots, Diamond came at the DA40’s design as sort of hybrid between the sleek glass gliders the company started out producing when it was Hoffman Flugzeugbau and more traditional aircraft U.S. customers are accustomed to. As a hobbyist private pilot, this has also been a unique experience where I have been able to apply my skills as an artist directly to my passion for flying. The plane is so easily controlled that I later learned to fly our DA40 in tight formations with other Diamonds—a real thrill.While it’s possible to cruise at an honest 150 knots in smooth air, the sweet spot for cross-country flights is to fly around 8000-9000 feet, burning 9 GPH rich of peak and seeing 145 knots true airspeed.

Trim is both electric and manual—there’s a trim rocker on the sticks and a center console wheel—and is activated by cables to an anti-servo tab on the horizontal stab.Diamond kept it simple when it came to the powerplant: Lycoming’s 180-HP IO-360 has proven reliable and inexpensive to overhaul, at the expense of giving up some smoothness to six-cylinder Continentals. No. I also like that the standby flight instruments are conveniently located at the top of the instrument panel.As for financials from 2013, maintenance was $12.05 per hour, including new tires. The DA40 has no ice protection, but I wouldn’t fly a single anywhere near ice.

But the rest of the aircraft was essentially trouble-free, reflecting Diamond’s excellent build quality, fit and finish.Multiple maintenance shops are qualified as Diamond Service Centers with extensive DA40 experience, and the folks at Diamond’s Canadian factory (where our plane was built) are quite responsive to parts orders and owner questions.One maddening item is that because DA40s—like all of today’s automobiles—but unlike most aircraft, are metric, it is often difficult to obtain nuts or bolts from aircraft maintenance shops. Useful loads are in the 850-pound range, although some owners report less.So with the tanks full, it can carry about 600 pounds—three people with some bags.

The canopy provided superb visibility, the speed was impressive—newer models are even faster—and handling was just plain fun. Sales were initially brisk, especially to the trainer market which, increasingly, was turning to Cessna 172s for new training aircraft. In early models, the panel air vents emitted a noticeable and irritating howl, but this has since been quieted down.When we reviewed the first production model DA40 in 2002, it blew away the competition, mainly the Cessna 172 and 172SP and the Piper Archer, both entry level four-placers. My user name on DAN is Chris B, in case you want to hit me up for advice. The DA40 has officially appeared in only three versions, the DA 40, DA 40D and DA 40F, as documented on its type certificates. It’s safer than an hour driving on winding roads in our Mazda Miata—and way more fun.The only significant downside to the DA40 is the limited useful load, which in our aircraft is roughly 850 pounds. This yielded what we think can fairly be called a world airplane.Hoffman Flugzeugbau began life in 1981 in Friesach, Austria, producing the H36 Dimona motorglider, a popular recreational airplane in Europe. Only the Tiger comes close in older designs, although the Cirrus SR20—also entry level—is faster by about 12 knots or so on 20 more horsepower. It easily kept up with the 200-HP Piper Arrow. I’m sure that a parachute would provide bonus marketing points (especially with all-important non-pilots), but with an already best-in-market safety record, I personally don’t think that the cost in weight and dollars makes sense. My advice is don’t land the airplane on runways that are poorly plowed. Before my wife and I were instrument rated, we were easily able to obtain $1 million smooth coverage for a DA40 with $250,000 hull value for about $2500 per year. I was able to get balanced and detailed information in order to make an informed decision. Slow flight and stalls are non-events and even deep into the stall, the airplane simply mushes and could probably touch down that way in a survivable impact. The gear attach point loads are carried into the center section through attachments on the spar.Unique among the big three composite lines—Cirrus, Columbia/Cessna and Diamond—the DA40 has center sticks with push-pull rods for elevator and ailerons and cables for the rudder. The XLS has a wider, higher canopy and a luxury interior while the CS is essentially an la carte model with a constant-speed prop that lets flight schools configure it with interiors and other options.