In January 2022, Matthias Niederhäuser and Robin Wenger departed on a trip of a lifetime: A global circumnavigation in a new Diamond DA-50. In this video, AVweb interviewed the pilots when their route took them through Florida in late March. They discuss the planning and execution necessary to fly such a trip in a single-engine airplane with a new, untried powerplant. For more on the project, see www.diamondo-earthrounding.com

9 COMMENTS

  1. 10 gph at 160 kts?
    Why can’t we replace 100LL with Jet-A?
    Sounds like an incredible trip and the opportunity of a lifetime!

    • Because the engines are heavier and more complex, and this causes many problems. Most airframes cannot use a simple engine swap. Also, because Textron doesn’t build a jet A engine, and they seem to have some sort of control over everything aviation related. I’m not a conspiracy guy, but I’m sure one of them could make one of those things where they connect Textron to some ancient cult, the Rothschilds, and some new world government scheme.

    • The best performance at 10.7 gph. is 157 kts. at 16,000′ msl. At every other altitude you will be slower. There is no free lunch, I don’t care what kind of fuel you’re pushing through the engine.

    • 160KTAS at 10gph is very doable using avgas-powered engines. Five years ago I circumnavigated in my Mooney 231 following Amelia Earhart’s route. (Today my leg was from Dominica to Trinidad.) I chose the Mooney because it would fly at 160KTAS at less than 10GPH and I could operate efficiently above FL 190, which helped me see around cumulus build-ups. (Flying at the equator means flying with thunderstorms.)

      The only issue I had was availability of avgas. Jet-A and, in a pinch, diesel, is readily available no matter where you go. Avgas availability is very spotty in Africa and completely unavailable at my stop at N’djamena, Chad, even with a year of planning and effort to get a barrel of avgas placed there. Frankly, diesel engines are likely to be the real future for GA.

  2. Why don’t they just cut out the enviro mumbo-jumbo and admit they are flying an airplane powered by an aircraft Diesel engine that burns Jet-A, a fuel very similar to diesel and kerosene. And what’s wrong with a Diesel engine? They are very reliable, efficient and relatively simple. Jet-A and diesel fuel are available just about anywhere on the planet, and they are the most renewable energy source imaginable, dead plants and animals, aka fossil fuels, aka Dino-power. Instead of wasting their time on pushing the totally debunked junk science of man-made climate change and limited resources, they ought to be advocating for fracking and conversion of coal to synfuels. BTW Aviation Diesel engines are nothing new – some Zeppelins and large German bombers in WWII were powered by them.

  3. Ever hear of the Smart Plug? This device would have eliminated ignition systems allowed the use of any fuel Jet-A, Diesel, avgas, etc. http://www.smartplugs.com/index.html.
    I’m puzzled as to why engine manufacturers (Automotive, industrial, lawn mowers and aircraft) did not grab this concept and develop as a standard. It would have controlled emissions. Dr. Forrest Bird demonstrated it in his J3 cub on floats 20 years ago!

  4. No that impressed with specs for this AC that is projected to have a MSRP of 1.4M USD fully optioned. Speed about expected for commonplace SEL retractable. Rate of climb, service ceiling, range and useful load kind of meh.

  5. Okay since we are talking jet or turbo prop and talking money lets be plain about it, use a turbine engine either as a jet or turbo prop. very simple engine very reliable and powerful not that great on MPG but otherwise still great.

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