Diamond D-Jet First Flight

Diamond Aircraft flew its single-engine D-Jet SN001 for the first time Tuesday afternoon, taking off from London International Airport in Ontario, home of Diamond's North American operation. After a run of high-speed taxi and rotation tests, the jet lifted off at 5:08 p.m. and flew for an hour and six minutes. Nineteen distinct test points were completed, the company said in a news release yesterday. The jet climbed to 12,000 feet, and checked for stability and control with flaps and landing gear extended and retracted. The test speeds ranged from slow flight at 1.1 Vs to 160 KIAS. Engine and systems tests were successfully performed, as well as roll rate and lateral directional stability tests and simulated landing at altitude, the company said. See AVweb's NewsWire for in-flight images and Diamond's full press release. After completing all tests, the jet flew in close formation with the chase aircraft for photo and video recording. The landing, with a 5-knot crosswind, was normal.

Company Is Ecstatic

"We are absolutely delighted with this flight," said Diamond CEO Christian Dries, who flew the chase aircraft. "The test flight went exactly as planned. ... Our crew did a fabulous job." The D-Jet is a five-seat single-engine personal jet, powered by the FADEC-controlled Williams FJ33 turbine and equipped with Garmin all-glass flight deck and autopilot. Diamond has said it has orders for 125 copies of the D-Jet, which are expected to sell for under $1 million each. The jet's maximum altitude target is 25,000 feet and the cruise target is 315 knots. As for delivery, one flight school is laying plans to be near the head of the line. Utah Valley State College, which is already home to 21 Diamond aircraft, including two new Diamond Twin Star DA42-TDIs "[UVSC] will be the first flight school to use our complete range of aircraft for flight training," said Christian Dries, CEO of Diamond, according to a school publication. " In fact, they are also in negotiations to receive the company's first single turbofan engine jet, the D-Jet, within the next few years."

Note: Click through for Diamond's full press release and full-size images. (The aerodynamically inclined may enjoy a close view at the airflow indicators clearly visible near the engine intake/wing joint.)