At AirVenture Diamond Aircraft made the U.S. unveiling of its fastest, most powerful piston single, the five-place, fixed-gear DA50 SuperStar. Powered by a 350 hp turbocharged Teledyne Continental engine, the Super Star will be around a 200-knot airplane-no specifics on altitude, power settings or fuel flow were given-with an initial range of 900 nm, though Diamond hopes to improve upon that by at least 100 nm as it works on wing and fuel tank enhancements.
The DA50 will immediately make Diamond a serious contender in the high-performance single category, a role the company’s highly regarded but lower-powered DA40 DiamondStar couldn’t fill.
While the SuperStar will be among the fastest piston-powered singles, its real claim to fame will be its size. The rear seat is a three-across bench seat that will accomodate two adults and a child easily, while offering exceptional room for two adults. The baggage area behind the seats is by far the best in class, with room enough for a worst-case scenario family vacation.
The other notable difference with the DA50 is the remarkably wide panel. With rich wood grain accents, the panel is both attractive and capable. The TSIOF-550J engine features full authority digital engine control (fadec) for single-lever control of power. The G1000 avionics in the airplane features three screens, a first to our knowledge for an airplane in this class. Price of the SuperStar is expected to be around $600,000, and Diamond hopes to earn certification for it by spring of 2008.
