Diamond Aircraft President Peter Maurer told his hometown newspaper in London, Ontario that the company intends to build its single-engine D-Jet in London. Although Diamond is being wooed by various communities in the U.S. and Canada, since it began negotiations for government incentives, Maurer told the London Free Press that a move isn’t in the cards. “Our intention is to build it here,” he said. That’s welcome news to local officials but the paperwork on those incentives hasn’t been signed. Diamond could be in line for up to $30 million from the Canadian federal government, on top of the $11 million its already been offered by the province of Ontario. The D-Jet plant is expected to cost $100 million and employ about 500 people. Meanwhile, the D-Jet program reached a milestone last Friday with the first flight of the type-conforming certification test aircraft.
The aircraft went to 11,000 feet and basic aerodynamic and systems checks were made. The aircraft performed as expected. The single-engine D-Jet is the first “personal” jet to enter certification testing and the 1,500-hour program begins soon. Maurer said there are more than 300 orders for the jet.
