Diamond Flies DA50 Turboprop For The First Time Diamond Aircraft has kept its word when it said that it will have a DA50 turboprop in the future. Those words were proven correct when Diamond successfully flew the first flight of the DA50 turboprop known as the DA50-JP7. This is the first one, but Diamond suggests that two other test aircraft will join her in the certification run-up. The first flight was relatively brief only spanning 40 minutes but tested agility and climb rates. As for the perceived production of this model, the DA50-JP7 is expected to come in two variants. The first will be a version designed for speed and agility while the other will be an 'off-roader', hence it's name, the Tundra. That is, they will equip it with extra wide tires and beefier landing gear for operation on rough surfaces. The Jet Prop (JP) is powered by an AI-450S engine rated at around 465 horse power and claims to be rather efficient. The first flight occurred at the Wiener Neustadt East airport south of Vienna. For more information: Diamond Aircraft Industries, Inc. 1560 Crumlin Sideroad London, Ontario N5V 1S2 Canada www.diamondaircraft.com ***
