Diamond D-Jet VLJ
debuts at AirVenture
By David Sakrison
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The D-Jet flies by the
AirVenture crowd. Photo by Phil Weston |
The Diamond D-Jet made
its world debut Wednesday morning at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, just 10
days after it was unveiled at Diamond headquarters in London, Ontario.
Since then, the prototype has flown about 30 hours.
Diamond says the
five-place single-engine VLJ (very light jet) should be on the market in
mid-2008, priced at $1.38 million. Diamond CEO Christian Dries said the
D-Jet is designed to be flown by a pilot/owner, and will offer safety,
comfort, and efficiency.
"We designed this
aircraft for pilots with [as little as] 500 hours of flight time, who
want to move into jet flight," said Dries. "It had to be easy
to fly."
For safety, the D-Jet has
a certified ceiling of 25,000 feet. "At 25,000," said Dries,
"if your pressurization fails, you have about three minutes of
consciousness—enough time to recognize the problem and react. At
40,000 feet, you would have three seconds; up there, you pass out and
then you pass away."
Aircraft integrity, stability, and
control all become more complex and critical at higher altitudes; at
25,000 feet the D-Jet will operate in a flight environment more
appropriate for private pilots and single-pilot operation, Diamond says.
High stability, low approach and stall speeds, ease of handling, and
overall simple operation will make the D-Jet easy to learn to fly, the
company says.
Diamond also said it is
developing a D-Jet pilot training program and simulator to help pilots
gain and maintain proficiency—and to make it possible for owner/pilots
to get insurance at "realistic" rates.
The D-Jet’s glass
cockpit, designed by Garmin, includes dual 12-inch primary flight
displays and a center-mounted 15-inch multifunction display for weather,
traffic, terrain, and navigation data.
The single Williams FJ-33
fanjet engine that powers the D-Jet is an 80-percent scaled down version
of the FJ-44, the engine that powered the GlobalFlyer on three
round-the-world trips, and powers many of today’s light jets. Diamond
expects most trips flown in the D-Jet will be short to medium range.
Partnering with Williams
International, Diamond chose the FJ-33 for its size, weight,
reliability, and low-altitude efficiency.
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A Diamond debut.
The new Diamond D-Jet makes its public debut during a special
gathering on AeroShell Square Wednesday, an aircraft the company
calls the first "personal jet."
Photo by Dave Higdon |
Mike Huff, vice president
of business development for Williams International, said the D-Jet is
"the fulfillment of a dream that Williams has pursued for 20 years:
the dream of making jet flight more accessible."
With a useful load of
2,240 pounds and maximum fuel load of 1,740 pounds, the D-Jet will have
a projected range of 1,350 nautical miles. Diamond says it will climb to
Flight Level 250 in 15 minutes and will cruise at 315 knots. Cabin
seating is 2 + 3, with pressurization at 5.5 psi.
At the D-Jet’s Oshkosh
debut, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey commented on watching the sleek,
compact jet land at Oshkosh. "Is this an elegant airplane, or
what?" she asked, adding, "This is one of a new breed of
airplanes that will allow a lot of people to move into jets."
The FAA, Blakey said, is
very excited about the future the D-Jet represents, "and we’re
ready to work with Diamond and Aviation Canada to bring the D-Jet to
pilots in the U.S."
EAA President and AirVenture Chairman Tom
Poberezny said, "AirVenture is the center of the aviation universe.
It is also becoming the center of aviation innovation. We’re very
excited about the D-Jet and we’re proud that Diamond brought the D-Jet
here for its world debut."
