Diamond recently announced that it would upgrade the Williams FJ33 turbofan on its single-engine D-Jet to a more powerful version on all of its production airplanes. The new powerplant, a 1,900 lb thrust Williams FJ-33-4A-19, will replace the 1,564 lb thrust Dash-15 variant. Several factors drove the decision to make the switch, says Diamond, but critical was the need for better bleed air performance, important since there’s only one engine to provide the service. The higher-power engine will also give operators improved flight performance down the road, along with better fuel efficiency.
Diamond apparently agonized over the timing of the engine upgrade but ultimately decided to make the change before first certification, so that all customers will be getting the same performance, and so that their airplane‘s resale value will be protected. The swap means that first deliveries of the D-Jet are now planned to take place in the spring of 2009.
