2018 Diamond DA42-VI Twin Star for Sale

CHF 750,000

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

Aircraft Specifications

Asking Price
CHF 750,000
Year
2018
Model
DA42-VI (DA42-NG)
Engines
2 × Austro Engine AE300 (168 hp)
Paint
White with red and blue stripes
Seats
4

Avionics

Description

This 2018 Diamond DA42-VI is a four-seat, twin-engine composite aircraft with retractable landing gear, offered at CHF 750,000 and located in Switzerland. It was bought factory new by its only owner, who flew it himself. According to the maintenance status of 22 October 2026, it has 624 hours total time and 531 landings.

Both engines are Austro Engine AE300 jet-fuel engines of 168 hp with MT three-blade constant-speed propellers. The left engine is the original, with 1,176 hours to TBO or until August 2030. The right engine and propeller were replaced in December 2025 after a propeller strike and show about 170 hours.

The panel is a Garmin G1000 NXi with two 10-inch displays, GFC 700 autopilot with yaw damper, Garmin ESP and a GTX 335R ADS-B Out transponder. Options include Synthetic Vision, a GWX 70 weather radar, a TAS 605 traffic advisory system, a Honeywell KN 63 DME and TKS de-icing. It has the 289-litre long-range tanks and the baggage extension. The interior is black with red stitching.

The annual inspection was done in August 2026 and the ARC is valid until September 2027. Registration, serial number and logbooks are available on request.

Consultant's Notes

The short version

This 2018 Diamond DA42-VI for sale is a one-owner twin with 624 hours total time and 531 landings (maintenance status of 22 October 2026). It was bought factory new and has only ever been flown by its owner. Both engines are Austro Engine AE300 jet-fuel engines. The left engine is the original, with 1,176 hours to TBO or until August 2030, whichever comes first. The right engine and right propeller are newer: they were replaced in December 2025 after a propeller strike, and the right engine shows about 170 hours. The panel is a Garmin G1000 NXi with GFC 700 autopilot and yaw damper, Synthetic Vision, GWX 70 weather radar, TAS 605 traffic, a KN 63 DME and TKS de-icing. The annual inspection was done in August 2026 and the ARC is valid until September 2027. The aircraft is in Switzerland and the asking price is CHF 750,000.

What the DA42-VI is

The DA42 is Diamond's four-seat light twin: a composite airframe, retractable gear and two jet-fuel engines. The NG generation uses the Austro Engine AE300, a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel rated at 168 hp, managed by an electronic engine control unit with a single power lever per engine. The DA42-VI is the later version of the NG, with refined aerodynamics and cabin on the same basic design. The maintenance records list this aircraft under the DA42-NG type, which is how the VI is certified.

The DA42 has two established roles. Flight schools use it as a multi-engine and IFR trainer because it is economical for a twin and the engine controls remove much of the workload of a classic piston twin. Private owners use it as a touring twin with a modern panel and jet-fuel operation, and with de-icing it offers more weather options than a single.

One owner, 624 hours

Most used DA42s on the market come from training fleets, with thousands of hours and many landings. This one is the opposite case. It was bought new in 2018 by a private owner who flew it himself, and it has 624 hours and 531 landings in eight years. The seller describes it as always hangared, in good condition, with no paint repair work.

Low hours on a private aircraft usually mean a better-kept airframe and cabin. They also mean calendar items matter more than hours: hoses, batteries and seals age by date, not by use. Here, the eight-year items were done in August 2026, which is one of the reasons this is a good moment to buy.

The right engine and propeller: what happened and what to ask

The right engine and the right propeller were replaced in December 2025, at 456 hours airframe time. The reason, as reported by the seller, was a propeller strike on a waterlogged grass surface. Diamond required a full replacement of the engine and the propeller, and that is what was done. The right engine now shows about 170 hours, and its TBO date runs to December 2037. The right propeller has the same time.

A propeller strike is not a reason to walk away, but it is a reason to read the file. On this aircraft the outcome looks like the cautious one: a new engine and propeller rather than an inspection and return to service. The listing that circulates publicly does not mention it. We prefer you hear it from us first.

What to ask for:

- the occurrence report and the damage assessment; - the release to service after the replacement, with the engine and propeller records; - confirmation from the pre-purchase inspection that the engine mounts, nacelle and wing structure on the right side were inspected and found in order.

The left engine: the main cost to plan

The left engine is the original one. Its limit is 1,800 hours or 12 years, whichever comes first, and on this engine the date arrives first: August 2030, with 1,176 hours still available. A private owner flying 100 to 150 hours a year will reach the calendar limit long before the hours. A flight school flying 400 hours a year or more will use most of the hours by then.

Either way, the next owner should plan for one engine overhaul or exchange within about four years. That is the main cost item on this aircraft, and it is better to price it in now than to discover it later. The left propeller is listed at 622 hours, with its time limit running to March 2031; its governor and accumulator, like those on the right side, were overhauled in March 2025.

Maintenance status

The maintenance status of 22 October 2026, issued by a Swiss maintenance organisation, shows:

- Annual / 200-hour inspection: done in August 2026, valid until August 2027. - ARC (airworthiness review certificate): issued in September 2026, valid until September 2027. - Next 100-hour inspection: due at 634 hours, 10 hours after the status date. - Eight-year items: fuel tank vent hoses, fuel interconnect hoses, air intake hoses and coolant hoses replaced in August 2026. - Airworthiness directives: recurring ADs listed and tracked, with the latest inspections done in August 2026. - Weighing: last done in 2021, valid to 2031.

The status sheet lists no maintenance due to repairs. It is a summary, not the logbooks: the pre-purchase inspection should still check the records against the aircraft.

The panel and equipment

The panel is a full G1000 NXi installation with two 10-inch displays, two GIA 63W COM/NAV/GPS units, GMA 1347 audio, GRS 79 AHRS, GDC 72 air data computer and GMU 44 magnetometer. The GFC 700 autopilot includes a yaw damper, and Garmin ESP is fitted. The transponder is a GTX 335R with ADS-B Out.

The optional equipment is what sets it apart from a basic DA42: Synthetic Vision, a GWX 70 weather radar, a TAS 605 traffic advisory system, a Honeywell KN 63 DME and the TKS de-icing system. It also has the 289-litre long-range tanks, the baggage extension and standby instruments. The interior is black with red stitching; the exterior has red and blue stripes.

For a school, this panel is close to what airline cadets will meet later. For a private owner, radar, traffic and de-icing are the equipment that make a light twin useful in European weather.

Buying from Switzerland

The aircraft is maintained under a Part-ML maintenance programme, the same framework used for light aircraft in the EU. On a change of registry, the new state will issue its own certificate of airworthiness; confirm with that authority whether the current ARC carries over or a new airworthiness review is needed. Switzerland is, however, outside the EU customs and VAT area. A buyer based in the EU should plan for import formalities and import VAT at the rate of the country of import, and check with a tax adviser whether that VAT can be recovered. The asking price is ex Switzerland, with delivery and import at the buyer's charge.

Who this aircraft suits

It suits a private owner who wants a well-equipped twin with low hours and a single, known history. It also suits a flight school that wants a modern multi-engine trainer with radar and de-icing, and accepts that the left engine will need attention within about four years. It is not the right aircraft for a buyer who wants two matched new engines, or who will not accept any damage history at all; for that buyer, it is better said here than discovered at the inspection.

Before you buy

- Ask for the registration, serial number and full logbooks. - Read the propeller strike file: occurrence report, assessment and release to service. - Have an independent pre-purchase inspection, with attention to the right engine installation. - Price the left engine's overhaul or exchange into the deal. - Check import formalities and VAT if the aircraft will leave Switzerland.

Frequently asked questions

How many hours does this DA42 have? 624 hours total time and 531 landings, according to the maintenance status of 22 October 2026.

Has the aircraft had any damage? Yes. The right engine and propeller were replaced in December 2025 after a propeller strike on a waterlogged grass surface. Diamond required the full replacement. Ask for the occurrence and repair documents.

When is the next engine overhaul due? The left engine reaches its limit in August 2030, with 1,176 hours available until then. The right engine was replaced in December 2025 and runs to December 2037.

Is the ARC valid? Yes, until September 2027. The annual inspection is valid until August 2027.

Where is the aircraft? In Switzerland. The price is ex Switzerland; an EU buyer should plan for import formalities and VAT.

What is the asking price? CHF 750,000.

Can I see the registration and logbooks? Yes. The registration, serial number and records are available to serious buyers on request.