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Diamond DA40 XLS: Premier Edition

Premier Aircraft of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has created its own ultra version of the Diamond DA40 XLS

The debate between advocates of side sticks, conventional center sticks and yokes will probably never be resolved, but my vote goes to center sticks. The DA40's stick is nicely harmonized between ailerons and elevator, with enough roll to make handling sporty without so much pitch that the airplane becomes twitchy. There's no slop in the Star's controls, as pushrods connect the controls to the stick.

Back in the pattern, the Star is happy at any approach speed between 65 and 80 knots. Dirty stall with flaps extended to their full 42-degree limit is a low 49 knots, so technically, you could meet the 1.2 Vs requirement with an approach at only 59 knots. That might be a little sporty unless you know the airplane VERY well, but 65 knots should provide a reasonable flare with plenty of roll control remaining.

That's assuming you could find a way to slow the airplane. Go-down/slow-down can be a definite challenge. Glide ratio is 11:1, half again the L/D of most fixed-gear singles. The smooth, composite construction and semi-sailplane, Wortmann FX 63-137 airfoil result in an unusually efficient design. Rough calculation suggests a drag coefficient on the order of .020, only slightly less efficient than the aerodynamic paragon of general aviation, the LoPresti Fury (at .0188). Max flap speed is 106 knots, so flaps don't help much during descents. The airplane could benefit from installation of speed brakes, not currently an option, and a difficult STC considering the Star's composite wing structure.

If descents are a challenge, landings are exactly the opposite, almost silly simple. You could probably coach Betty White through a solo in a half-dozen hours. The flare seems nearly automatic, and the touchdown is anticlimactic. Few airplanes are easier to land than a Cessna Skyhawk or Piper Archer, but the Diamond Star may be one of them.

Add it all up, and it all adds up. Every aircraft design represents a series of compromises, but the folks at Diamond seem to have compromised the least. The DA40 XLS gets my vote as the best, all-around, 180 hp, fixed-gear people hauler above the planet.

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