Diamond Aircraft has earned FAA certification for the Avidyne FlightMax Entegra on its DA40 Diamond Star piston single and announced that Entegra-equipped DA40s are officially available. Diamond is the first manufacturer to offer the customer a choice of flat-panel systems, either the Avidyne or the Garmin G1000, which is expected to be certified on the DA40 soon.
The Avidyne-equipped airplane features a pair of 10.4-inch (diagonal) LCDs, a solid-state air data computer, ADAHARS, and a multifunction display with moving map and detailed engine instrumentation. Like the Avidyne system recently announced on the Piper Saratoga, the Diamond Star system puts the manifold pressure and engine rpm gauges on the PFD, along with a fuel flow indication, giving the airplane the required engine backup instrumentation on the displays. The DA40 system employs a single-bus, dual-battery electrical system for backup.
With the flat-panel displays but without an autopilot, the Diamond Star costs $228,800; with the Bendix/King KAP 140 two-axis autopilot, which features altitude hold and preselect, the airplane sells for $253,700.
