Diesel Austro engine awarded EASA certification
AFTER months of speculation, the diesel Austro engine AE300 for the DA42 Twinstar has received EASA certification.The new engine will replace the original Thielert version in all new DA42s – now named as the Next Generation or ‘NG’ model. A retro-fitted Austro engine solution will also be offered for current Thielert-engined models.According to Christian Dries, CEO of Diamond Aircraft Industries, the certification of the engine was achieved after 42 months of intense development work and costs of 48 million Euros. “The complete program developed into one that was significantly more complex than originally anticipated,” he said. “The issuance of this Type Certificate represents a most significant milestone and secures the future of the company.”There are already 27 DA42 NG with AE300 engines on the production line, whose type certification is also expected imminently. Following will be AE300 powered versions of the DA40 and the DA50. www.diamond-air.at
