Австрийский лёгкий самолёт Diamond DV20/DA20 Katana

Austrian light aircraft

The Diamond DV20/DA20 Katana is an Austrian designed two seat general aviation light aircraft. Developed and manufactured by Diamond Aircraft, it was originally produced in Austria as the DV20. The DV20 shares many features from the earlier Diamond HK36 Super Dimona. It was introduced to service during 1993. During the 1990s, production of the type was commenced at a new facility in Canada in order to meet demand for the type within the North American market. The Canadian produced aircraft are designated as the DA20. It has been a relative success on the market, having sold in excess of 1,000 aircraft by 2008 and multiple improved variants of the DA20 have been developed. Additionally, it has been further developed into the four seat Diamond DA40 Diamond Star.

In 1981, a new company, Hoffmann Flugzeugbau, was formed in Austria with the aim of becoming a major aircraft manufacturer for general aviation purposes. During the late 1980s, management at the firm continued to rapidly expand its range of products; it also underwent several changes in name and ownership, eventually becoming Diamond Aircraft. It was decided to develop a new two seat aircraft, later designated as the DV20 Katana, using the earlier and successful Diamond HK36 Dimona as a basis. In 1993, the Katana was first displayed to the general public at the Paris Air Show. Originally placed into production in Austria, during the early 1990s, a purpose built factory was established by Diamond in London, Ontario, Canada to produce the DV20, which was subsequently designated as the DA20. According to aerospace publication Flight International, the decision to transfer production to Canada was to meet demand for such an aircraft within the sizable North American market; in addition, the firm already considered itself secure in its dominance in the European general aircraft market. In 1994, the first Canadian produced DA20, a Rotax 912 powered A1 aircraft, was completed; it was the first Diamond aircraft available for sale in North America. Between 1994 and 1999, in excess of C$100 million was invested in the Canadian plant.

During 1998, production of the Continental IO 240 B3B powered C1 Evolution and Eclipse models commenced, which was also performed at the firm's Canadian facility. The C1 model featured several advances, including the adoption of a new engine, which was more powerful than the Rotax 912 and provided the plane with greater performance as a result; other improvements included increased comfort, the adoption of slotted flaps, and an improved braking capability. During the late 1990s, Diamond also developed a new four seat aircraft, designated as the DA40, which had been heavily derived from the DA20. Both the DA20 A1 and C1 are certified under AWM 523 VLA in Canada, as well as being under FAR 23 in the USA. The DA20 is certified in the utility category; in particular, it is permissible to intentionally spin it with flaps in the full up position. In 2004, Diamond received Chinese certification for the DA20. Both models also hold Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) certification. Although the DA20 is available with instrumentation and avionics suitable for flight under instrument flight rules (IFR), its plastic airframe lacks lightning protection and thus does not qualify for IFR certification. In November 2008, the company announced that it would be offering an Aspen Avionics glass cockpit primary flight display as an option on the DA20. Diamond indicated the Aspen PFD would be easy to incorporate into the existing instrument panel design because it mounts in a standard round instrument hole. In October 2009, the company introduced the Garmin G500 glass cockpit as an option.

The Diamond DA20 Katana is a low wing cantilever monoplane, commonly operated as a low cost two seat trainer aircraft. According to Flight International, it has been considered to be relatively unorthodox amongst trainers, utilising a design that makes heavy use of the manufacturer's prior glider products. The Katana benefits in the training role from its relative ease of handling and responsive controls. In comparison to traditional trainer aircraft, it has been marketed as substantially reducing the associated fuel and maintenance costs of operation, while providing favourable flight qualities and the necessary range for trainees to gain experience with. The Katana possesses a higher glide ratio than many of its competitors; its glide ratio is 11:1 and the DA20 A1 is 14:1. The aircraft does not feature any instances of vortex generators, wing fences or many other aerodynamic devices, aside from the integral winglets, which positively contribute to roll stability, drag reduction, and enhanced aileron effectiveness. The Katana's T tail configuration has also been claimed to reduce the negative effects of propeller generated slipstream on the aircraft's pitch control as well as increase low speed pitch authority. The AFS program was discontinued in 2007. Doss Aviation, under contract for the United States Air Force, currently operates a fleet of DA 20s at the Pueblo Memorial Airport in the Initial Flight Training (IFT) program. Potential USAF Pilots, Combat Systems Officers, and RPA pilots that do not have a private pilot's license must go through the Doss screening program and receive time in the DA20 before going on to their respective training programs.