Flew the DA40 today - wow!

[GreatLakesFlying]

Today, I had a checkout flight for the DA40 at the FBO here at 06C.

Summary of experience: wow. Long write up: wow, oh wow!

Longer write up: I got my PPL a couple of months ago, flying a Skyhawk. Then I transitioned to the Archer II and found that I really like low-wing airplanes.

The DA40 was something else. The transition from the Garmin 430 to the G1000 is overwhelming but the basic functionality is intuitive. Variable pitch propeller is easier to use in practice, than reading about it. Free castering nose-wheel was easy to master.

The actual flying part was a bit challenging: completely different sight picture compared to the C172 and the P28A. Where I'd expect straight-and-level flight, based on sight-picture, I was actually climbing at 600 fpm. When I push the nose down, the darn thing went to 115 KIAS with no effort! Finally, I got the sight picture right and managed to maintain altitude +/- 100.

The autopilot is a great feature to have!

The standard checkout at the FBO involves power-on and off stalls, slow flight, steep turns, landings, simulated engine failure, and a few more items. This airplane doesn't want to stall! I could feel the buffeting but there is no clear break like you get in the Skyhawk, when the nose drops.

When it came time for landing practice at KDPA, I learned the meaning of "slippery plane". It was impossible to pitch for approach speed and lose altitude at the same time. I finally got it, but what a difference from the Skyhawk or the Archer!

All-in-all a fun experience! Did I already say, wow?

The only thing I didn't like was the sensitivity of the stall horn. Maybe I am not accustomed to a stall warning at 75+ KIAS

 

[tspear]

The plane stalls 49 knots with flaps and 54 flaps up (I think). So unless you are pulling a 45 degree bank, the stall warning horn should not be going off.

Tim

 

[GreatLakesFlying]

The plane stalls 49 knots with flaps and 54 flaps up (I think). So unless you are pulling a 45 degree bank, the stall warning horn should not be going off.

Tim

Tim the stall speeds are 49 and 52 indeed. But the horn came on at about ~75 KIAS on final (ie, level wings), and went full blast at 66. The CFI conducting the check-out flight said this may be a bit too early.

 

[steingar]

Yup. If you're in a slick aircraft you have to learn how to manage descents. Diamonds, like Mooneys, will go down or slow down, but not both at the same time. Just a new skill to put in your bag.

 

[labbadabba]

Tim the stall speeds are 49 and 52 indeed. But the horn came on at about ~75 KIAS on final (ie, level wings), and went full blast at 66. The CFI conducting the check-out flight said this may be a bit too early.

I've experienced this in an older DA-40-180 as well. I don't think it was as high as 75KIAS but def upper 50s lower 60s on climb out of ground effect. I think Vr is 57KIAS and it protests a bit.

 

[tspear]

Also, learn to slip. Critical in slick planes...

Tim

 

[Catalo]

Today, I had a checkout flight for the DA40 at the FBO here at 06C.

Summary of experience: wow. Long write up: wow, oh wow!

Longer write up: I got my PPL a couple of months ago, flying a Skyhawk. Then I transitioned to the Archer II and found that I really like low-wing airplanes.

The DA40 was something else. The transition from the Garmin 430 to the G1000 is overwhelming but the basic functionality is intuitive. Variable pitch propeller is easier to use in practice, than reading about it. Free castering nose-wheel was easy to master.

The actual flying part was a bit challenging: completely different sight picture compared to the C172 and the P28A. Where I'd expect straight-and-level flight, based on sight-picture, I was actually climbing at 600 fpm. When I push the nose down, the darn thing went to 115 KIAS with no effort! Finally, I got the sight picture right and managed to maintain altitude +/- 100.

The autopilot is a great feature to have!

The standard checkout at the FBO involves power-on and off stalls, slow flight, steep turns, landings, simulated engine failure, and a few more items. This airplane doesn't want to stall! I could feel the buffeting but there is no clear break like you get in the Skyhawk, when the nose drops.

When it came time for landing practice at KDPA, I learned the meaning of "slippery plane". It was impossible to pitch for approach speed and lose altitude at the same time. I finally got it, but what a difference from the Skyhawk or the Archer!

All-in-all a fun experience! Did I already say, wow?

The only thing I didn't like was the sensitivity of the stall horn. Maybe I am not accustomed to a stall warning at 75+ KIAS

Who was the cfi that did your checkout? Looking at getting checked out there soon.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[asicer]

When it came time for landing practice at KDPA, I learned the meaning of "slippery plane". It was impossible to pitch for approach speed and lose altitude at the same time. I finally got it, but what a difference from the Skyhawk or the Archer!

Leave the prop out until you really need it. Pushing it in will add a little bit of drag and help you slow down. Plus, people on the ground with sensitive ears will appreciate it.

Also, that last notch of flaps is a lot more effective than the first. Keep that in your back pocket as well.

If you think being in the pilot's seat is amazing, wait until your backseat passengers get a hold of the rear door. They'll never want to fly a PA28 or Mooney ever again.

 

[Ben2k9]

I’m jealous - really wanted a DA40 but alas I’m too tall for cockpit

 

[tspear]

I’m jealous - really wanted a DA40 but alas I’m too tall for cockpit

Not sure when, but they added a bubble canopy option which adds another one or two inches of height, and some of the seats recline which helps too.

Tim

 

[Ben2k9]

Not sure when, but they added a bubble canopy option which adds another one or two inches of height, and some of the seats recline which helps too.

Tim

I know all about it. The tall boy canopy is what you’re talking about and became standard on 2008 and beyond. They also thickened padding in the seats which offset some headroom gains. There is also a bubble (aka double bubble) canopy that is used for extra headroom for helmets (military and police) but that’s only certified for the DA NG model, which is a new airplane. So I wasn’t ready to cough up $500k just yet for that plane. Was hoping to find a solution for an older DA40, but as for now there is none. Getting help from Diamond customer service in Canada was not very productive.

 

[tspear]

Curious when you tried. I have good response from the Canada factory when I was looking earlier this year, and over on a Diamond forum they have been very happy with the customer service in the past couple of years.

 

[GreatLakesFlying]

Who was the cfi that did your checkout? Looking at getting checked out there soon.

Jon Ross with Northwest Flyers. I worked with him on completing my PPL, and I continue working with him to further my skills. He is outstanding and I highly recommend him and the FBO.

 

[PPC1052]

When it came time for landing practice at KDPA, I learned the meaning of "slippery plane". It was impossible to pitch for approach speed and lose altitude at the same time. I finally got it, but what a difference from the Skyhawk or the Archer!

I learned in a DA-20 and noticed the same things, including the difficulty getting a nice clean break in stalls. You really learn to nail your airspeeds for landing. Also, you really learn the relationship between pitch and airspeed. Often, you want to pitch up to go down. Pitch up to slow it down, then you can begin to descend on target. Pitch down first? Fugetaboutit. You're going around.

 

[Ben2k9]

Curious when you tried. I have good response from the Canada factory when I was looking earlier this year, and over on a Diamond forum they have been very happy with the customer service in the past couple of years.

Earlier this year. The customer service was not terrible or anything, but like I said unproductive for what I was looking to do.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Today, I had a checkout flight for the DA40 at the FBO here at 06C.

Summary of experience: wow. Long write up: wow, oh wow!

Welcome to the world of Diamond pilots. The flying is good here.

The DA40 was something else. The transition from the Garmin 430 to the G1000 is overwhelming but the basic functionality is intuitive. Variable pitch propeller is easier to use in practice, than reading about it. Free castering nose-wheel was easy to master.

The FAA materials on constant-speed props suck.

Speaking of things that suck, if you want to know how it really works and get a much better explanation than I've seen anywhere else, go read this article: Manifold Pressure Sucks!

The actual flying part was a bit challenging: completely different sight picture compared to the C172 and the P28A. Where I'd expect straight-and-level flight, based on sight-picture, I was actually climbing at 600 fpm. When I push the nose down, the darn thing went to 115 KIAS with no effort! Finally, I got the sight picture right and managed to maintain altitude +/- 100.

Yes. It's much easier to see over the cowl in the DA40, so rather than having the cowl on the horizon, it tends to be quite a bit below the horizon. But the view is unbeatable.

The standard checkout at the FBO involves power-on and off stalls, slow flight, steep turns, landings, simulated engine failure, and a few more items. This airplane doesn't want to stall! I could feel the buffeting but there is no clear break like you get in the Skyhawk, when the nose drops.

Yep, you can just sit there and hold it in the stall with the stick all the way aft, keeping the wings level with the pedals. It does a great "falling leaf" stall, and if you get in a situation where you need to drop it into a really short field in an emergency, this is one way to do it. Vertical speed of the DA40 in a falling leaf stall is lower than the vertical speed of a Cirrus under a chute. Just sayin'.

When it came time for landing practice at KDPA, I learned the meaning of "slippery plane". It was impossible to pitch for approach speed and lose altitude at the same time. I finally got it, but what a difference from the Skyhawk or the Archer!

Using flaps will really help. If you look at the wing flaps from the top, it looks like they stop at the rubber seal where the wing connects to the fuselage wing stubs. If you look underneath, you'll see that the flap is actually 2-3 feet longer under there. So, that inner piece acts as a split flap, which mostly gives you drag. If you reduce power to where you can get the first notch of flaps out (108 KIAS) and extend the first notch, further reductions in power are reasonably effective at getting you slowed down to 91 KIAS, where you can put the rest of the flaps out.

The only thing I didn't like was the sensitivity of the stall horn. Maybe I am not accustomed to a stall warning at 75+ KIAS

The plane stalls 49 knots with flaps and 54 flaps up (I think). So unless you are pulling a 45 degree bank, the stall warning horn should not be going off.

This is one of my very few gripes with the DA40 - The stall warning goes off WAY too early. I'm not sure why. It's one of the "kazoo" horns similar to a C172, but it isn't at all unusual for it to squeak a bunch even at a normal approach speed on a bumpy day. Doing an approach to a short-field landing, it'll be on a little bit the whole way down final.

This does vary from plane to plane, but the type is definitely prone to this.

 

[SoCal RV Flyer]

Love the Diamonds...my trainer was a DA-20. Slips work ***somewhat*** but slippery glider-like fuselage doesn't present the drag of a 172/Cherokee when pitched sideways. Learning to slow it down was great training for the RV-9A.