Diamond DA40 Star TDI for Sale

€330,000

Available now: 2001 Citation Bravo — $2,300,000

Aircraft Specifications

Asking Price
€330,000
Model
DA40 Star TDI (TAE 125-02-99)
Engines
1 × Thielert / Centurion TAE 125-02-99 diesel
Engine time
800 hrs remaining to TBR (TBR 2,100 hrs)
Seats
4

Avionics

Description

This Diamond DA40 Star TDI is a four-seat, single-engine composite aircraft equipped with a Garmin G1000 integrated avionics system for IFR operation and a Bendix/King KAP 140 autopilot. It is offered at an asking price of €330,000.

The engine is a Thielert / Centurion TAE 125-02-99 diesel running on jet fuel. It is published with 800 hours left against a time between replacement (TBR) of 2,100 hours. Listed engine-related options are the TAE 125-02-99 dual mass flywheel and a muffler.

The emergency locator transmitter is an Artex ME 406. The aircraft also has the baggage extension with baggage tray, which adds usable loading space behind the rear seats.

Airframe total time, year of manufacture, serial number, registration, location, propeller status and inspection status are not part of the published data. They are available on request, together with the logbooks, and should be reviewed before an offer is made.

This is a G1000-equipped DA40 Star TDI with a clearly defined engine position and a published price. Gobbo Capital can arrange the full document package and a pre-purchase inspection before any commitment.

Consultant's Notes

The short version

This Diamond DA40 Star TDI for sale is a G1000-equipped diesel four-seater with an asking price of €330,000. The engine is a Thielert / Centurion TAE 125-02-99, published with 800 hours left to its 2,100-hour time between replacement (TBR). Avionics are a Garmin G1000 integrated system for IFR operation, a Bendix/King KAP 140 autopilot and an Artex ME 406 ELT. Listed options are the TAE 125-02-99 dual mass flywheel, a muffler, and the baggage extension with baggage tray. Airframe total time, year of manufacture, serial number and registration are not in the published data and are available on request.

What you are looking at

The DA40 is Diamond's four-seat, low-wing, fixed-gear single, built largely from composite materials. The Star TDI version carries a Thielert (now Continental) Centurion diesel in place of the Lycoming avgas engine. The TAE 125-02-99, also known as the Centurion 2.0, produces 135 hp, burns Jet A-1 and is controlled by a FADEC through a single power lever.

This example has three things that define it. It has a Garmin G1000 panel. It has a published price. And its engine is past the midpoint of its interval. Each of these matters to how you should evaluate it.

Owning a Centurion-powered DA40

The practical differences show up in three places. Fuel planning: you will be looking for Jet A-1 rather than avgas, which widens your choice of airfields in much of Europe but should still be checked route by route. Maintenance: choose a shop authorised for Centurion engines, because engine work, gearbox inspections and FADEC diagnostics need specific tooling and training. Paperwork: engine status is tracked against TBR and calendar limits rather than a traditional overhaul, so the engine logbook deserves as much attention as the airframe logbook. None of this is difficult, but it is different, and it is better planned than discovered.

The G1000 panel and the KAP 140 autopilot

The Garmin G1000 is the integrated glass cockpit that became the standard panel in many light aircraft from the mid-2000s. In a DA40 it combines the primary flight display, the multi-function display with moving map and engine indication, and the communication and navigation radios in one system. For a pilot training for or flying IFR, it is a familiar and capable environment, and plenty of instructors and pilots know it well.

The autopilot is a Bendix/King KAP 140. It is a well-known, simpler autopilot design that predates the Garmin GFC 700 fitted to later G1000 aircraft. It does the core job of holding heading, tracking a course and holding altitude, and it can couple to approaches, but it is not as deeply integrated with the G1000 as the GFC 700. That is not a defect; it is a difference you should know about before you buy. Ask which KAP 140 configuration is installed (one or two axes, with or without altitude preselect) and when it was last serviced.

Things to confirm on the panel:

- G1000 software version and whether databases and subscriptions are current; - transponder type and whether it supports ADS-B Out, if that matters for where you will fly; - the date of the last pitot-static, altimeter and transponder checks; - any open squawks on displays, cooling fans or the autopilot servos.

The engine: 800 hours left of 2,100

The published engine information is "800h left" and "TBR 2100h". The Centurion is not overhauled in the traditional sense; at the end of its TBR it is exchanged. Taken at face value, these figures mean the engine has used roughly 1,300 hours of its interval. That is arithmetic, not a published figure, and it should be confirmed against the engine logbook.

What this means for a buyer is simple. Within the next 800 engine hours, this aircraft will need an engine exchange. For a private owner flying 100 hours a year, that is several years away. For a school or club flying several hundred hours a year, it is much closer. Either way, the cost belongs in your purchase calculation from day one.

The useful exercise is to ask a Centurion service centre for a current exchange quote, then compare this aircraft at €330,000 with similar DA40 Star TDIs that have more engine time remaining. The difference in engine reserve should show up in the price.

The listing also names the TAE 125-02-99 dual mass flywheel and a muffler as options. The dual mass flywheel is part of the drivetrain between engine and gearbox, and the gearbox on this engine has its own inspection intervals. Ask for the gearbox status and the date and hours of the last related inspections, along with compliance with Continental (Thielert) service bulletins and airworthiness directives.

The gap you need to close: airframe hours

The listing does not give the airframe total time. On any aircraft this is a basic figure; on a DA40 that may have been used for training, it is essential. Airframe hours affect value, the inspection workload ahead and, in some cases, time-dependent inspections under the Diamond maintenance documentation.

Before discussing the price, ask for:

- airframe total time and the year of manufacture; - the type of use the aircraft has seen (private, club or training); - the damage and repair history, including any composite repairs and who carried them out; - the propeller make, model, hours and calendar status, which are also not stated in the listing.

Until those numbers are on the table, €330,000 cannot be judged properly. That is not a criticism of the price; it is simply the order in which a careful buyer works.

The practical options

The baggage extension with baggage tray is a useful option on a DA40. It adds loading space behind the rear seats, which makes a real difference on touring trips with luggage. Always check the weight and balance with the actual equipment fitted; the empty weight and centre of gravity of this aircraft should be in the documents.

Who this DA40 Star TDI suits

It suits a pilot or a small group who want a G1000 diesel four-seater for touring and IFR practice, who value jet-fuel operation, and who are comfortable budgeting for an engine exchange during ownership. It also suits a school that wants a G1000 trainer, provided the airframe hours turn out to be reasonable and the engine exchange is reflected in the price.

It does not suit a buyer who wants the latest Garmin autopilot integration, or who wants a full engine interval ahead of them. If either of those is a priority, this is not the airplane, and it is better said here than discovered on a viewing.

What we would check before buying

1. Airframe total time, year of manufacture, serial number and registration. 2. Complete, continuous logbooks for airframe, engine and propeller. 3. Engine records: hours since new or since installation, TBR, calendar limits, gearbox, flywheel, service bulletins. 4. Propeller records: make, model, hours and calendar limit. 5. Damage and repair history, including composite repairs. 6. Certificate of airworthiness and ARC (or national equivalent), valid and current. 7. Panel: G1000 software and databases, KAP 140 configuration and service history, transponder and pitot-static checks. 8. Weight and balance with the baggage extension and current equipment. 9. A pre-purchase inspection at a shop with Diamond and Centurion experience.

Frequently asked questions

How much is this Diamond DA40 Star TDI? The asking price is €330,000.

How many hours does the airframe have? Airframe total time is not in the published data. It is available on request and should be reviewed before an offer.

How much engine time is left? 800 hours, against a published TBR of 2,100 hours. At TBR the Centurion engine is exchanged.

What avionics does it have? A Garmin G1000 integrated avionics system for IFR, a Bendix/King KAP 140 autopilot and an Artex ME 406 ELT.

What year is the aircraft? The year of manufacture is not in the published data. It is available on request.

Does it have extra baggage space? Yes. The listing includes the baggage extension with baggage tray.

Can I arrange a pre-purchase inspection? Yes. We recommend one at a shop experienced with Diamond airframes and Centurion engines, and we can help organise it.