Six months after winning approval in Europe, the FAA has granted a type certificate for the 170-hp Austro AE300 diesel engine, clearing the way for FAA approval under a reciprocal agreement of the type certificate of the Diamond DA42 NG multiengine aircraft.
Diamond Aircraft will offer the engine on the DA42 to replace Thielert diesel engines. Thielert went bankrupt, requiring speedy development of the Austro engine. The FAA certification of the AE300 paves the way for FAA validation of the EASA type certificate for the DA42 NG. Diamond can also install AE300 engines on earlier DA42 aircraft.
Austro Engine developed the engine in collaboration with MB Technology (Mercedes Benz) and Bosch General Aviation Technology. It uses a single-lever engine control using FADEC (full authority digital engine controls). Diamond displayed a DA42 with Austro engines during the recent EAA AirVenture 2009. It flew from Diamond's Austrian facility averaging a fuel burn of 5.6 gph per engine at 65-percent power, getting 155 KTAS at 14,000 feet.
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