composite planes

Guest Discussion
1

i have enjoyed reading this website over the months and am in the process of composite plane purchasing/researching. anybody out there with experience with diamondstar da40-180 versus sr20 performance or perspectives?

thanks for your input.

2

i have enjoyed reading this website over the months and am in the process of composite plane purchasing/researching. anybody out there with experience with diamondstar da40-180 versus sr20 performance or perspectives?

thanks for your input.

This has been discussed several times before; this site contains a good search function which should locate the threads for you.

3

i have enjoyed reading this website over the months and am in the process of composite plane purchasing/researching.

I actually came very close to purchasing a DA40 last month, and visited the London Ontario factory.

For me, the main plusses (vs. the SR-20)for the DA40 were local on-field maintenance, immediate familiarity since I’ve learned to fly in the DA20, and fuel economy.

The negatives were performance, the avionics, and confidence in their ability to produce it. The final point became the fatal one, as they told me they won’t be building any this year fitted with the autopilot option.

Then, since the SR-20’s really aren’t being built right now, and they’ve only delivered 9 Lancair Columbias so far, I decided to go with the SR-22. Which I’m very much looking forward to.

The DA40 seems an ideal choice for someone who learned in Katana’s to step up to for time building and IFR training; I hope they get their production act together. The are doing a very good job producing the DA20’s; they told me they take only 800 hrs per plane!

-Curt