Diamond DA42NG for Sale

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

Aircraft Specifications

Asking Price
Make Offer
Model
DA42NG
Airframe
650 hrs
Engines
2 × Austro Engine (jet-fuel, DA42NG standard)

Avionics

Description

This Diamond DA42NG is offered with 650 hours total time on the airframe since new, a low figure for a model that is often flown hard in training and private IFR use. The DA42NG is Diamond's four-seat composite twin in its jet-fuel version, powered by two Austro Engine turbocharged engines with single-lever electronic engine control, constant-speed propellers and retractable landing gear.

The seller invites offers. Beyond the total time, the specific details of this unit have not been published: year of manufacture, serial number, registration, avionics and autopilot configuration, engine and propeller times, inspection status, interior, paint and location are all available on request. We will confirm each of these from the aircraft's records before presenting them as fact.

Anyone considering an offer should review the complete logbooks since new, the engine and propeller records, the airworthiness documentation and the damage history, and arrange a pre-purchase inspection at a maintenance organisation experienced with Diamond twins. With an airframe this young, the questions that matter most are how many calendar years those 650 hours were spread over and how the airplane was stored and maintained in between.

Consultant's Notes

The short version

This Diamond DA42NG for sale has 650 hours total time on the airframe since new, and the seller is inviting offers. The DA42NG is Diamond's four-seat composite twin with two Austro Engine jet-fuel engines, single-lever engine control, constant-speed propellers and retractable gear. The year of manufacture, serial number, registration, avionics configuration, engine and propeller times, inspection status and location have not been published and are available on request. What you can say today is simple: this is a low-time example of a popular piston twin, priced by negotiation, and every detail beyond the hours needs to come from the records before you make a serious offer.

Why 650 hours is the headline

Many DA42s spend their lives in flight schools and accumulate thousands of hours. A DA42NG with 650 hours since new is at the other end of that range, and that is the reason to look at this airplane.

Low hours are good news only when they come with a clean, continuous history. The first question is not "how many hours" but "over how many years". A young airplane flown regularly is one thing. An airplane that has flown 650 hours over a long period, with long gaps in between, is another. Engines that sit can suffer, seals and hoses age by the calendar, and batteries, tyres and rubber components do not care how few hours are in the logbook. Ask for the flight hours by year and the storage history. If the airplane spent periods parked, ask how it was preserved and what was done to return it to service.

With 650 hours, you also want to know whether the airframe, both engines and both propellers are still the original units, or whether anything has been exchanged. The listing refers to engine and propeller times, but the published entries are not clear enough for us to state them as fact. We will confirm them from the records.

The DA42 family, explained

The DA42 name covers more than one airplane, and buyers often mix them up. The difference matters because it decides your ownership experience.

- DA42 (early TDI models). The original Twin Star flew with Thielert diesel engines, first 1.7 litres and later 2.0 litres. Many have since been re-engined or modified. Support and engine history are the big topics on these. - DA42NG. The "Next Generation" model, powered by Austro Engine 2.0-litre turbocharged engines designed by Diamond's own engine company. This is the airplane on offer here. - DA42-VI. A later evolution of the NG with aerodynamic refinements and other improvements. If you see a DA42-VI listed next to a DA42NG, the price difference is partly explained by that.

If you are comparing several DA42s on the market, compare like with like: same engine family, similar equipment, similar documentation quality.

What the DA42NG does well, and where it stops

The DA42NG is a twin that is easy to live with. One power lever per engine, jet fuel that is available wherever turbine aircraft operate, modest fuel burn for a twin, a canopy with excellent visibility and a cockpit that suits single-pilot IFR. It is a familiar platform for anyone trained in modern European flight schools, which also helps with insurance and with finding instructors and maintenance.

The limits are real too. It is a four-seat airplane, and with full fuel the payload is not generous. It is a piston twin, so cruise speeds are a long way from turboprop numbers. And the cabin is comfortable but not spacious. If you need six or seven seats, the DA62 is the logical step up.

Avionics and equipment

The avionics fit of this airplane has not been published. DA42NGs were delivered with Garmin G1000 integrated flight decks, but options and later upgrades vary a lot from one airplane to the next: autopilot type, traffic system, weather equipment, ADS-B, ice protection, long-range tanks. Each of these moves the value of the airplane. Ask for the full equipment list and the weight and balance report, which shows exactly what is installed.

What "Make Offer" means in practice

A "Make Offer" listing is an invitation to start a conversation, not a sign that the seller will take any number. Our approach is the same as with a fixed price. We ask for the records, establish the year, the equipment and the engine and propeller status, compare the airplane with others on the market, and only then suggest a number. An offer is usually made subject to a satisfactory pre-purchase inspection and a review of the documents, and a deposit is held in escrow until both are complete.

If you are interested, the fastest route is to tell us what you need the airplane for, and we will tell you plainly whether this one fits before anyone talks price.

Owning a low-time DA42NG: what to plan for

Buying a young airplane does not make ownership free. Plan for the scheduled maintenance of two engines and two propellers, including the time- and calendar-controlled components of the Austro engines, and for the annual or periodic inspections set by the maintenance programme. A low-utilisation owner hits calendar limits before hour limits, so a quiet airplane can still have items coming due.

Two practical points are often forgotten. First, composite airframes are best kept in a hangar: sunlight and heat are the enemies of paint and composite surfaces, which is one reason these airplanes are white. Second, the pilot side. In Europe a multi-engine piston class rating must be revalidated regularly, and insurers usually ask for type-specific training on the DA42 before releasing an owner to fly alone. Factor both into your first-year budget.

Flown regularly and maintained by people who know the type, a DA42NG is one of the more rational ways to own a twin. The point of this section is simply that the purchase price is the beginning of the cost, not the whole of it.

What to verify before you commit

- Year, serial number and registration. Not published. They come first, because the history checks depend on them. - Logbooks since new. Complete and continuous for the airframe, both engines and both propellers. - Hours per year and storage history. The key question on a low-time airplane. - Engine and propeller status. Original or exchanged, hours since new, calendar limits, and compliance with Austro Engine and propeller manufacturer bulletins. - Airworthiness Directives and Diamond service bulletins. A signed compliance list. - Damage history. In writing. Any composite repair must be supported by approved repair data. - Certificate of airworthiness and airworthiness review (ARC or equivalent). Validity, registry and any import or export involved. - Equipment list and weight and balance. To know exactly what you are buying. - Pre-purchase inspection at a Diamond-experienced maintenance organisation.

Who this airplane suits

If you want a DA42NG without a training-fleet past and you are prepared to verify its history properly, this is worth a close look. It suits an owner-pilot moving up from a single, or a twin pilot who wants jet-fuel economy and modern systems. It is less suited to someone who wants a fully specified, turnkey IFR machine without seeing the equipment list first, simply because that list has not been published yet.

Frequently asked questions

What year is this Diamond DA42NG? The year of manufacture has not been published. It is available on request, with the serial number and registration.

How many hours does it have? 650 hours total time on the airframe since new, as published.

What is the asking price? The seller invites offers. Contact us and we will help you build a realistic offer based on the records.

What engines does the DA42NG have? The DA42NG uses two Austro Engine 2.0-litre turbocharged engines that run on Jet A-1. The engine times of this airplane are available on request.

What avionics are installed? Not yet published. DA42NGs were built with the Garmin G1000; the exact configuration of this airplane is available on request.

How is the DA42NG different from the DA42-VI? The DA42-VI is a later evolution of the NG with aerodynamic refinements. Both use Austro engines; compare equipment and documentation, not just the name.

Can I have a pre-purchase inspection? Yes, and we recommend it, at a maintenance organisation that knows Diamond twins well.