Diamond · 2011+
Diamond DA40 NG
Specifications
Performance
Cruise
124KTAS
60% power @ 14,000 ft
Range
934nm
60% power @ 14,000 ft
Climb
651fpm
Ceiling
16,400ft
Fuel Burn
5.1gph
60% power @ 14,000 ft
Fuel Cap.
39gal
MPG
28.0mpg
Stall (Vs0)
58KIAS
T/O roll
1302ft
Ldg roll
1043ft
Size & weight
Seats
4
Useful Load
897lbs
Full-fuel payload
636lbs
Max gross
2,888lbs
Wingspan
39.2ft
Length
26.4ft
Engine
Engine
Austro Engine AE 300 (E4 series)
Power
168hp
TBO
—hrs
Overhaul
—
Owning it
Hull insurance
—/yr
Parts
—
Mechanics
—
Gear
Fixed
IFR
Yes
Category
certified
Full specification
V-speeds
Airframe
- Empty weight
- 1,991 lbs
- Max fuel weight
- 261 lbs
- Height
- 6.5 ft
- Wing position
- low
Obstacle performance
- Takeoff over 50 ft
- 1,935 ft
- Landing over 50 ft
- 2,132 ft
Paperwork
- Type certificate
- A47CE
- Certification basis
- FAR 21.29; JAR 23 Initial Issue (1994), equivalent to Part 23 Amdt 23-1 thru 23-51; Special Conditions 23-250-SC (Diesel Cycle Engine) and 23-253-SC (Electronic Engine Control)
These figures are typical for the model, not a specification for any individual aircraft. Real-world numbers vary with year, installed equipment, weight, modifications and engine condition — often by more than you would expect. Use them to compare types, and confirm anything you would act on against the Pilot's Operating Handbook for that specific airframe and a prebuy inspection.
Pricing
Typical
$450k
Range
$300k – $670k
Annual all-in
~$25k/yr
All-in at ~100 flying hours a year, using the midpoint of each range — the same figures broken out under “Cost to own” below. Your number will differ, and mostly for two reasons. Experience sets your insurance: a 2,000-hour pilot with recent training pays 30–40% less than a 200-hour owner, and student owners pay 20–40% more — on the same aircraft that is often a doubling. Location sets your hangar: a T-hangar runs $200–400 a month in the Midwest against $400–1,500 in a coastal metro, and an outside tie-down is less again. Engine reserves move too — a local shop reusing your serviceable cylinders can come in 30–50% under the national specialty-shop pricing we quote, though you trade the warranty and turnaround that comes with it. Reserves are money set aside toward a future overhaul, not a bill this year, and the annual inspection figure is the shop’s labor to look — whatever they find is separate.
Cost to own — estimate
Set your yearly hours and local fuel price. Fixed costs (insurance, hangar, annual inspection) don't change with hours; fuel, maintenance and the engine reserve do.
This is a diesel. It burns Jet-A and cannot run on avgas at all, which matters for fuel availability at small fields as much as for the price per gallon.
- Fuel (5.1 gph)
- $3,060
- Maintenance, parts & wear items ($12/hr)
- $1,200
- Insurance
- $4,050–$11,250
- Hangar
- $6,209–$15,523
- Annual inspection (labor only)
- $1,200
- Databases & subscriptions
- $400
- Total per year
- $24,376
- Per flight hour
- $244
- Miles flown / year (at cruise)
- 14,270 mi
- Cost per mile
- $1.71/mi
- Time in the air
- 2 hr 25 min
- Fuel burned
- 12 gal
- Out of pocket
- $103
Fuel, engine reserve and wear only. Insurance, hangar and the annual are already paid whether you make the trip or not, so they are not charged here.
Estimate, not a quote. Where a line shows a range, the total, per-hour and per-mile figures use its midpoint— insurance moves most with your experience and time in type, hangar with where you base the aircraft, so your own number could sit at either end. Annual inspection is the shop's labor to open and inspect — what they find is the maintenance line, which covers oil changes, plugs, tires, brakes, hoses, lights, a battery and vacuum pump amortised over their life, and the unscheduled squawks that are the largest and least predictable part of it. Reserves are sinking funds toward an overhaul, not a bill you pay this year — and note that a propeller is due on hours or calendar time, typically six years, so flying less does not put it off forever.
Strengths
- Efficient diesel engine with strong range and low fuel burn (5.1 US gal/h @ 60%)
- Modern airframe (DA40 NG since 2011) with better fuel economy than Lycoming sibling
- Jet-A availability advantage outside North America; lower fuel costs internationally
- Long endurance suitable for cross-country and survey missions
Weaknesses
- Austro engine maintenance requires specialist shops; not all Diamond-familiar mechanics can service it
- Austro engine parts source from Austria with several-week lead times on non-stock items
- Composite repair requires certified composite shop
- Low-wing fixed-gear design limits backcountry and rough-field capability
Overview
This page describes the Austro-diesel DA40 — the DA40 NG, and the sole new-build DA40 configuration Diamond's current configurator offers. The Lycoming-powered airframe (DA40-180 / XLS / XLT) is a separate purchase, on the same type certificate but a different section, with its own page: Diamond DA40 (Lycoming). See that page's Overview for the full splitting-rule reasoning; the short version is a 28.2% fuel-capacity spread (over the rule's 20% threshold) plus the Jet-A-vs-avgas buyer-advice difference described above.
The DA40 NG was approved in 2011, replacing the earlier, more troubled Thielert-engined DA40 TDI (2002-2007ish, not separately re-sourced this session — see the confidence note). Diamond's own current spec sheet no longer mentions the TDI/Thielert powerplant at all.
Variants & History
| Variant | Years | Engine | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| DA40 TDI | 2002-2007ish | Thielert TAE 125-02-99 | Original diesel; Thielert bankruptcy left many TDI airframes converted to Austro or retired. NOT independently re-sourced this session — see confidence note. |
| DA40 NG | 2011-present | Austro AE 300 (E4) | This page. Current production. |
Performance
Cruise speed and fuel burn ARE a genuinely matched pair on this variant —
unlike every other page in this family. Diamond's current spec sheet states
"Cruise speed at 60% (14,000 ft): 124 kts" and "Fuel consumption: 19.3 l/h
(@60%) / 5.1 US gal/h (@60%)" — same power setting, same implied altitude
context. cruise_percent_bhp: 60 and cruise_altitude_ft: 14000 are
therefore populated here, unlike the Lycoming sibling page.
Range is NOT from the same row. The 934 nm range figure is published at "FL160, 50% PWR," a different (lower) power setting than the 60% cruise/burn pair above. This is disclosed rather than silently treated as one flight — a 934 nm trip at 60% power and the actual published 60%-power range (not separately stated) may differ.
Maneuvering speed is stated at the max-gross weight bracket. FAA TCDS A47CE Section III gives VA in three weight bands (99/106/111 KCAS); at this airplane's 2,888 lb certificated gross weight the applicable figure is 111 KCAS, which is what is stored.
Payload & Range
DA40 NG (168 hp Austro AE 300, 39 gal usable Jet-A, 2,888 lb gross):
| Scenario | Fuel (gal) | Fuel Weight (lbs, Jet-A @ 6.7 lb/gal) | Payload (lbs) | Pax + Bags | Range (nm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full fuel, 2 pax | 39 | 261 | 636 | 2 x 200 + 236 bags | 934 |
| Full fuel, 4 pax | 39 | 261 | 636 | 4 x 150 + 36 bags | 934 (tight) |
897 lb useful load matches the manufacturer's own stated figure exactly.
Fuel weight uses 6.7 lb/gal (Jet-A), not 6.0 lb/gal (avgas) — the
max_fuel_weight_lbs arithmetic rule this catalogue follows for jet fuel.
2007 Diamond DA40
G1000 · GFC 700 · Composite · No Corrosion Ever
Mission Suitability
- Flight Training (7): Efficient and modern, though the Austro's specialist maintenance requirement is a real downside for a fleet trainer compared with the Lycoming sibling.
- Backcountry (2): Low-wing, fixed gear, hard-surface airplane.
- Business Travel (5): Similar cabin to the Lycoming DA40 with materially better fuel efficiency and a longer stated range.
- Aerobatics (1): Not aerobatic certified.
- Cross-Country (7): The diesel's efficiency and range are a genuine advantage for longer legs, especially outside North America where Jet-A is often cheaper and more available than 100LL.
- Cargo Hauling (2): Limited baggage capacity, shared with the Lycoming airframe.
- Local Fun Flying (6): Efficient but a diesel-specific maintenance relationship makes it a less casual choice than the Lycoming variant for pure local flying.
- Surveying (6): Long endurance on efficient fuel burn is a real asset for this mission.
Avionics Ecosystem
Garmin G1000 NXi standard on current production, with FADEC engine management integrated into the glass panel — the Austro's single-lever power control is managed through the same displays.
STCs & Modifications
None found. Fully integrated diesel/FADEC/composite system; no aftermarket engine conversion path exists back to Lycoming.
2019 Cirrus SR22
One Owner · Platinum · FIKI · Low 690 Hours · Hangared
Maintenance & Support
- Parts availability: Austro-authorized service centers only; not every Diamond-familiar shop can do engine work on this airplane.
- Mechanic familiarity: Specialist — this is the key ownership-cost difference from the Lycoming sibling.
- Engine overhaul cost: left blank — see
validator_exemptabove; the house reference file has no Austro entry yet, and this affects every Austro-engine page in the catalogue, not just this one.
Valuation Factors
Prices are asking-price data from the site's own listings sync (2026-07-14), not a Vref or Aircraft Bluebook considered value. DA40 NG asking prices in that snapshot range from roughly $370,000 (older, higher-time examples) to $669,000 (newer, low-time). A Vref/Bluebook subscription would settle a considered value, which this session could not obtain.
ADs & Common Problems
- Austro AE 300: Has had documented ADs over its service life; this session did not carry out a fresh AD-by-AD search (no FAA AD database query was run for this specific engine), so treat this as a flag to check rather than a complete history.
- Composite repair: requires a certified composite shop.
- Parts lead time: Austro engine parts source from Austria; lead times of several weeks on non-stock items are a commonly reported operational complaint industry-wide (not independently verified this session).
Insurance Profile
No fresh insurance-broker quote sourced this session;
typical_hull_insurance_annual_usd is intentionally left blank.
For sale (0)
No listings for this model right now.
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