TwinStar Crosses Atlantic At 26.8 NMPG

Diamond’s DA-42 TwinStar continues to turn in remarkable performance and fuel-consumption numbers, according to Diamond. The company says the diesel-powered twin (the same plane that was at AirVenture) averaged a fuel burn of just 5.74 gph (2.87 per side) on a flight from St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Porto, Portugal, on Aug. 16. Despite the low power setting of 42 percent, Diamond’s news release said the plane’s average groundspeed for the trip was 152 knots. (Happy tailwinds to all.) Total fuel burn was 72 gallons. Diamond says pilot Gerard Guillamaud had planned to go nonstop from St. John’s to Toulouse, France, but bad weather got in his way. He had five hours of fuel left when he landed at Porto. According to Diamond, this is the first nonstop trans-Atlantic crossing by a diesel-powered aircraft. The plane is now back at Diamond headquarters in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, for optional equipment certification work.