It’s official—Diamond Aircraft has achieved FAA certification of its new DA50 RG single-engine piston aircraft with retractable gear.
The manufacturer of the popular training aircraft made it official Tuesday at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
During the announcement, which was made at the Diamond Aircraft booth, Lirio Liu, executive director of the FAA’s Aircraft Certification Service, handed the certificate to Diamond Aircraft’s management team.
“What an amazing day,” said Liqun (Frank) Zhang, CEO of Diamond Aircraft Group and Diamond Aircraft Austria. “Our revolutionary DA50 RG is getting overwhelmingly high praise from everyone that flies it. Its combination of cabin size, utility, performance, and efficiency, paired with environmentally friendly jet fuel engines, make it an ideal aircraft for the U.S. market.”
Zhang noted the DA50 will be a good addition to the existing Diamond used by so many flight schools around the world.
“We have been eagerly waiting for this next milestone and are extremely proud to be offering this great aircraft alongside our popular singles and twins,” said Zhang. “We’d also like to congratulate Continental Aerospace Technology on receiving FAA certification for the CD-300 jet fuel engine, powering our fantastic DA50 RG.”
According to Diamond Aircraft, there are already several orders for the DA50 on the books. The first DA50 was delivered Tuesday to Premier Aircraft Sales, a U.S. dealer of Diamond, and Jordan Cram accepted it on behalf of the company.
“The DA50 RG is a perfect match for sustainability, performance, and design requirements,” Cram said. “The excellent fuel economy combined with jet fuel made me feel better about carbon impact, and the balance of function and form is just unparalleled. We’re going to be up in the air a lot.”
Said Kevin Sheng, CEO of Diamond Aircraft Canada: “This is truly an amazing day. We are here to not only celebrate the Diamond DA50 RG receiving FAA certification but also the delivery to Mr. Cram. We are truly fortunate to be able to share this with all of our friends here at Oshkosh AirVenture 2023, and we are so proud that Mr. Cram has joined the Diamond Aircraft family. We know he will love the performance, comfort, economy, and safety that his new DA50 RG will provide.”
Since May, the DA50 RG has been touring the U.S. Pilots from all over the country have had the opportunity to experience the aircraft up close. The tour continues until the end of September.