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Diamond DA40

Diamond Aircraft · Light aircraft · In production — Diamond Aircraft

The modern composite trainer.

Length8.06 m
Wingspan11.63 m
Range1,730 km
MTOW1 t
Typical seats4
Built2,500+
Our numbers

Derived metrics

Computed by aircraft.fyi from the core specification — see how we calculate these.

Seats per metre#34 of 35
0.50 seats/m typical seats ÷ fuselage length
Range per tonne#1 of 65
1320.6 km/t maximum range ÷ MTOW in tonnes
Span-to-length ratio#5 of 68
1.44 wingspan ÷ fuselage length
Weight per metre#66 of 68
0.16 t/m MTOW ÷ fuselage length
Range in hours#35 of 65
6.1 h maximum range ÷ cruise speed
Weight per seat#32 of 35
328 kg MTOW ÷ typical seats
Sense of scale

What size is it, really?

The Diamond DA40's wingspan, against things you already know the size of.

Diamond DA4011.63 m
Airbus A38079.75 m
Football pitch (width)68 m
Blue whale25 m
New Routemaster bus11.2 m
You (probably)1.75 m
Specification

The numbers

Length8.06 m
Wingspan11.63 m
Height1.97 m
Max takeoff mass1,310 kg
Max cruise (16,000 ft)285 km/h
Max range (FL160, 50% power)1,730 km
EngineAustro AE 300 2.0 L diesel, 168 hp
Fuel consumption (60%)19.3 l/h
Seats4

Last verified: 2026-07-20 · Spot an error? business@luck.fyi

The story

What makes it different

The DA40 is what a training aircraft looks like when the design starts from a clean sheet in the late 1990s rather than the mid 1950s. The airframe is composite rather than riveted aluminium, the wing is long and slender in the manner of a glider, and the tail is a T rather than a cruciform.

The NG model burns Jet A-1 through an Austro AE 300 diesel, which matters more than it sounds. Avgas is leaded, increasingly scarce outside North America and Europe, and expensive. A diesel that drinks 19.3 litres an hour and runs on the same fuel as an airliner removes a supply problem for flight schools operating far from an avgas pump.

Its long wing gives a flat glide, which changes engine-failure training from an exercise in rapid decision-making to something closer to soaring. Diamond's accident record in the type is the strongest argument for the design, though as with any aircraft the figures reflect how and where it is flown as much as the airframe itself.

Common questions

Diamond DA40 — the short answers

How fast is the Diamond DA40?
The Diamond DA40 cruises at about 285 km/h — roughly 154 knots, or 177 mph.
How far can the Diamond DA40 fly?
The Diamond DA40 has a maximum range of about 1,730 km (934 nautical miles, 1,075 miles). At its cruise speed that is roughly 6.1 hours in the air.
How many people does the Diamond DA40 carry?
A typical Diamond DA40 carries 4 people including crew. Exact figures vary with the operator's chosen configuration.
Is the Diamond DA40 still in production?
Status: In production — Diamond Aircraft. The Diamond DA40 first flew in 2000, and about 2,500 have been built.
How big is the Diamond DA40?
The Diamond DA40 is 8.06 m long with a wingspan of 11.63 m and a height of 1.97 m. Its maximum takeoff weight is 1,310 kg.
Variants

The Diamond DA40 line

DA40 NG
The current model — Austro AE 300 turbocharged diesel running on Jet A-1, 5.1 US gal/h at 60% power.
DA40 XLT
The AVGAS model, Lycoming IO-360 at 180 hp, 142 KTAS maximum cruise.
DA40 TDI
The earlier diesel variant, powered by the Thielert Centurion before Diamond brought engine production in-house.
eDA40
The all-electric development aircraft aimed at flight schools, offering roughly 45 minutes of flight plus reserves.