Diamond D-Jet

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D-JET
300px
The second prototype D-jet exhibited at the EAA Convention in July 2010
Role Civil passenger jet
Manufacturer Diamond Aircraft Industries
First flight 18 April 2006
Status Development suspended (Feb 2013)
Number built 3 prototypes[1]
Unit cost
forecast US$1.89 million (March 2009)[2]

The Diamond D-JET is a composite, five-seat, single-engine jet aircraft developed by Diamond Aircraft Industries.[3] The final cost was advertised as US$1.89 million, in March 2009 dollars.[2]

By February 2013 the aircraft's development program was suspended pending company reorganization and the D-Jet workforce had been laid off. In May 2014 the company confirmed that the project remained suspended, but not cancelled.[4][5]

Design and development

Diamond has targeted the aircraft at the owner-pilot market, seeing it as more practical for single-pilot operations than the Eclipse 500 and the Cessna Citation Mustang. By limiting the altitude to 25,000 feet, it will be safer if pressurization fails. Diamond intends the D-JET to have a lower operating cost than other very light jets[citation needed].

On November 9, 2006, at the AOPA Expo in Palm Springs, California, USA, Diamond announced that ATP Flight School (ATP) placed the first fleet order of 20 Diamond D-JETs. ATP will provide factory-approved training to D-JET purchasers beginning in 2008.[6] Toronto-based Chartright Air Group ordered 10 D-JET aircraft with expected delivery beginning 2010.[7]

In February, 2008 Diamond announced that the aircraft will be built in a new plant in London, Ontario, Canada. This announcement came after the Government of Canada announced it was giving the company a “Cdn$19.6 million strategic, repayable investment” and the Government of Ontario announced that it had given the company Cdn$11 million. Diamond claims that research and development costs for the D-JET have been Cdn$95.2 million and that the plant to build the aircraft will cost an additional $100 million.[8]

In October 2008 Canadian charter operator SwiftJet announced that they had ordered five D-Jets with options for ten more. SwiftJet's intention is to offer air taxi service "anywhere and anytime to destinations around the world." SwiftJet currently operates one Dassault Falcon 20 in the charter role.[9][10]

The Government of Ontario loan was contingent on a matching loan from the federal Canadian government, which was not approved and so the 213 laid off employees have not been rehired.[11]

The D-JET was initially to be powered by one Williams FJ33-4A-15 turbofan engine. That 1,564 lbf (6.96 kN) thrust engine was found in early 2008 to produce insufficient bleed air for cabin pressurization and other services. As a result a decision was made to switch to the Williams FJ33-4A-19 turbofan engine, which produces 1,900 lbf (8.5 kN) of thrust instead.[12]

The switch in engines delayed the certification schedule and moved the projected first customer deliveries of the aircraft into the spring of 2009.[12]

Diamond is also developing a military trainer variant of the D-JET that will likely feature Martin-Baker lightweight ejection seats and is intended to sell for under US$3M.[13]

The first flight of the D-JET was made on 18 April 2006 from the London International Airport (ICAO: CYXU) in Ontario, Canada the homebase of Diamond’s North American division. The flight was piloted by test pilot Gérard Guillaumaud and lasted 1:06 hours. The aircraft's public debut was at Oshkosh in July 2006.[14][15] At that time Diamond expected certification to be complete by the middle of 2009 with deliveries starting at the same time.[16]

The Diamond D-JET, partially assembled at the Oakland NBAA, November 8, 2007.

On 20 July 2007 Diamond Aircraft announced the roll out of its second D-JET, serial number 002. Serial number 002 is the first D-JET intended to conform to the expected production configuration in its structural layout and aerodynamic design. D-JET prototype serial number 002 first flew on 14 September 2007. It was joined by D-JET Serial Number 003, which first flew on April 15, 2008.[17]

Flight testing and program development was halted in the spring of 2011 as the company lacked funds to proceed. After a failed campaign for federal government support, private investment was found and test flight resumed in September 2011.[18][19][20]

In July 2012 the company announced that 700 hours of flight testing had been completed, reaching Mach 0.56 (346 kn (641 km/h) true airspeed) along with 30,000 pressurization cycles on a test fuselage. Winglets had been added to the aircraft that improved roll control at all speeds, especially in the stall. With that addition the design was frozen and the company commenced building production tooling for the fourth serial number. At this time certification was forecast for late in 2013 with production deliveries to commence in the third quarter of 2014.[21][22][23]

In late February 2013, having not located further operational funding after the failed sale to Medrar in 2011, the company laid off the majority of its Canadian staff and suspended work on the D-Jet program, indicating that the company needed to reorganize. By May 2014 work on the D-Jet remained suspended, but the project had not been cancelled.[4][5]

Specifications (D-JET)

Data from Diamond Aircraft[3]

General characteristics

  • Crew: one, pilot
  • Capacity: four passengers
  • Length: 10.7 m (35 ft 1 in)
  • Wingspan: 11.5 m (37 ft 9 in)
  • Height: 3.6 m (11 ft 10 in)
  • Gross weight: 2,320 kg (5,115 lb)
  • Fuel capacity: Lua error in Module:Convert at line 272: attempt to index local 'cat' (a nil value).
  • Powerplant: 1 × Williams FJ33-4A-19 turbofan, 8.5 kN (1,900 lbf) thrust

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 583 km/h (362 mph; 315 kn)
  • Cruising speed: 444 km/h (276 mph; 240 kn)
  • Range: 2,500 km (1,553 mi; 1,350 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 7,600 m (24,934 ft)
  • Rate of climb: 8.467 m/s (1,666.7 ft/min)
  • Time to altitude: 7,620 m (25,000 ft) in 15 minutes

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 D-JET Program Update, pg 3. Last accessed 8 August 2009.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Morrison, Murdo. "Diamond Canada left wondering if government will recognise jewel in its aerospace crown." Flight International, 23 May 2011.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Flying Magazine: Engine Swap for the D-Jet: Program Delayed, June 2008 page 20. Hachette Filipacchi Media
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ AvWeb Article Diamond D-Jet First Flight By Mary Grady , Newswriter, Editor April 20, 2006
  15. ↑ AvWeb Article Diamond D-Jet To Debut At Oshkosh By Mary Grady, Newswriter Editor May 31 2006
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Aero-News April 16, 2008 Article Diamond's Third D-Jet Takes To The Skies
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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