The Diamond DA42 is a four-seat, twin-engine, propeller-driven utility airplane manufactured by Austrian company Diamond Aircraft Industries whose airframe is composed largely of composite materials with carbon fibre. It features a Garmin G1000 glass cockpit.
It was the first diesel-powered, fixed-wing aircraft to perform a non-stop crossing of the North Atlantic on August 16, 2004. Diamond test pilot Gerard Guillaumaud flew from London (Ontario, Canada) to St. John (Newfoundland, Canada), a flight that took 7.5 hours, and from there to Oporto (Portugal), completing the trip in 12.5 hours with average fuel consumption of 5.74 gallons per hour (2.87 gallons/h per engine, or 10.87 litres per hour).
In March 2009, Diamond achieved EASA certification for the Austro Engine (AE 300) and started production of the DA 42 NG (Next Generation), a version equipped with 170 hp (127 kW) Austro Engine AE 300 engines. The new engine produces 20% more power and has better fuel economy than the Thieler engines, resulting in a higher gross weight and increased performance. The DA42 NG with Austro Engine engines received FAA certification on April 9, 2010 and Transport Canada certification on April 16, 2012.
