Diamond Aircraft Industries
DA40 / DA40 NG / DA40 XLT
Single-engine piston · Primary trainer · 2000s glass era
- Power
- 168 hp
- Cruise
- 154 kt
- MTOW
- 2,888 lb
- Range
- 940 nm
- Fuel
- Jet-A (diesel piston)
🇺🇸Specs shown in Imperial.
Performance
- Cruise speed (Vc)154 kt
- Never-exceed speed (Vne)178 kt
- Stall (landing config) (Vs0)49 kt
- Climb rate980 fpm
- Service ceiling16,400 ft
- Range940 nm
- Endurance8 h
- Takeoff roll1,184 ft
- Landing roll935 ft
Weights
- MTOW2,888 lb
- Empty weight1,929 lb
- Useful load959 lb
- Baggage capacity99 lb
Dimensions
- Wingspan39.2 ft
- Length26.5 ft
- Height6.5 ft
- Cabin width44 in
Powerplant
- EngineAustro Engine AE 300 — 168 hp · Jet-A · 5.5 gph
- Total horsepower168 hp
- Primary fuelJet-A (diesel piston)
- Unleaded pathJet-A piston diesel
Cockpit & avionics
- Cockpit typeglass
- Autopilot commonly availableYes
- Typical packages
- Garmin G1000 NXi— modern (current new-build)
- Garmin G1000 (original)— 2005–2017 new-build
- GFC 700 dual-axis autopilot— modern (standard on NG)
- Training note
Most ATOs run the DA40 NG with the same G1000 NXi cockpit configuration as their DA42 fleet so single-engine and multi-engine training remain visually identical for the student.
Certification
- RegulatoryEASA CS-23 · FAR Part 23
- Certified rolesNormal category · Utility category
- IFRYes
- Spin approvedNo
- Aerobatic-categoryNo
- TailwheelNo
- Complex (FAR 61.31)No
- High-performance (FAR 61.31)No
Why is the DA40 / DA40 NG / DA40 XLT popular?
Structured popularity-driver evidence. Each axis below carries one factual statement; we don't grade, the facts speak.
Fuel future-proofing
DA40 NG burns Jet-A through the Austro Engine AE 300 — the type was designed for the post-100LL training market and has been the canonical Jet-A piston single-engine trainer since 2010.
Industry network effects
Standard ab-initio airframe at major EASA ATOs running integrated CPL / IR programmes (CAE, Lufthansa Aviation Training, L3Harris, FTE Jerez) and US university aviation programs (UND, Western Michigan) — typically paired with the DA42 multi-engine for cockpit-continuity across the syllabus.
Operating economics
Fuel burn around 5.5 gph in cruise gives the DA40 NG one of the lowest direct fuel costs of any modern four-seat single-engine trainer; Austro AE 300 has an EASA-approved TBR of 2,000 hours and a TBO of 1,800 hours.
Pedagogy and handling
FADEC single-lever power control simplifies engine handling for ab-initio students; full Garmin G1000 NXi glass and GFC 700 autopilot are standard, matching the cockpit environment of the DA42 multi-engine.
Regulatory fit
Dual-certified under EASA CS-23 (TCDS A.022) and FAR Part 23; composite airframe with T-tail is unusual among four-seat trainers and has factory-supported maintenance scheme through Diamond's Wiener Neustadt facility.
Before you buy more aircraft
The next airframe is rarely the highest-leverage move.
Flight school revenue is a function of three things — utilisation, dispatch reliability, and student progression — that multiply rather than add. Most schools running below 850 hours per aircraft per year have hidden capacity worth more than the next purchase, already paid for and sitting on the ramp.
Read: Why buying more aircraft probably won't grow your schoolHow flight schools track this aircraft in Aviatize
Schools running the DA40 NG / DA42-VI fleet pairing typically configure both airframes around a shared Jet-A fuel surcharge model and shared Austro AE 300 engine support contract. Engine reserves track against the AE 300 TBR and TBO. Composite-airframe inspection cycles are tracked as separate maintenance items.
Editorial confidence
3 primary sources cited (POH / TCDS / type-club). Spec data and regulatory positioning are well-attributed; narrative synthesis is editorial.
Sources
Primary sources are POH / TCDS / manufacturer pages; derived sources record where Aviatize editorial synthesis is layered on top.
- Primary sourcePOH·Retrieved 2026-05-05
Diamond Aircraft Industries
https://www.diamondaircraft.com/Diamond Aircraft DA40 product page.
- Primary sourceEASA TCDS·Retrieved 2026-05-05
European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/document-library/type-certificatesEASA TCDS A.022 covers DA40 variants.
- Primary sourceFAA TCDS·Retrieved 2026-05-05
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/A47CEFAA Type Certificate for DA40 variants.
- Editorial synthesisAviatize-internal·Retrieved 2026-05-05
Aviatize editorial
Entry authored by Aviatize from accumulated industry knowledge cross-referenced against the primary sources cited above. Specific fleet figures, fleet wins, and recent production status changes are research-backlog candidates and should be verified against primary sources before flipping verified: true.