The Diamond DA62 arrived with EASA type certification in April 2015 as a thoroughly modern answer to a market long dominated by older, Avgas-burning light twins. Its memorable trick was not merely adding a second engine: it combined seven-seat potential, Jet A piston power, a carbon-composite airframe and a genuinely contemporary glass cockpit in a shape that travels rather than merely commutes. For pilots moving up from a high-performance single, it made the light twin look less like a legacy commitment and more like a current production aeroplane.

Diamond developed the DA62 from concept to certification in three and a half years, positioning it between high-performance singles and more traditional piston twins. The programme had to prove that a twin could retain the efficiency and clean-airframe thinking associated with Diamond’s singles while gaining cabin space, payload capability and meaningful single-engine performance. The result is a low-wing touring aeroplane whose design choices are unusually coherent: diesel-cycle piston engines, electronic engine control, three-blade constant-speed propellers, retractable gear and an all-composite structure all pull in the same direction.

Quick facts

What makes the Diamond DA62 different from a conventional light twin?

The DA62’s central idea is operational simplicity without pretending that a twin is a single. Each AE330 is managed through an electronic engine control unit, so the pilot uses a single power lever per engine rather than working through the familiar mixture, propeller and throttle choreography of a conventional piston twin. That reduces routine engine-management workload, but it does not reduce the need for disciplined asymmetric-flight training. A second engine remains an advantage only if the pilot is current enough to use it well.

Its other difference is fuel. The AE330 burns Jet A family fuels rather than Avgas, a practical attraction for operators flying internationally or through regions where Avgas availability is uncertain. The published total fuel flow of approximately 11.8 US gallons per hour at 60% power is striking for a seven-seat-class twin, though real trip economics still depend on altitude, loading, weather, reserves, engine condition and the mission actually flown. The DA62 is efficient, not exempt from arithmetic.

In the air, the long low wing and composite structure give the aeroplane a very clean, modern touring character. The factory figures include a 20,000-foot certified service ceiling and an 11,000-foot single-engine service ceiling at maximum take-off mass under ISA conditions. Those are useful numbers for route planning, but they should not be mistaken for a substitute for performance calculations from the applicable flight manual.

Powerplant, systems and technical highlights

• Two 180 hp Austro AE330 turbocharged, liquid-cooled Jet A piston engines with common-rail fuel injection and redundant electronic engine control.
• Single-lever engine control reduces routine power-setting tasks; propeller control is integrated with the engine-control system.
• Two MT three-blade hydraulic constant-speed propellers, with feathering operated by a dedicated switch.
• Published cruise is approximately 180 kt TAS at 85% power and 12,000 ft; maximum published speed is 192 kt TAS at 14,000 ft.
• All-carbon composite fuselage and cantilever low wing, with fuel tanks positioned between the main spars.
• Retractable tricycle undercarriage keeps the airframe clean in cruise while retaining a conventional nosewheel ground-handling layout.
• Later-production examples commonly use the Garmin G1000 NXi flight deck with GFC 700 automatic flight control system and yaw damper; installed avionics and optional equipment vary by aircraft.
• TKS ice-protection equipment and weather radar have been offered, but prospective owners should verify certification status and installed equipment rather than assuming either is present.

How it compares

The rival shown is the Tecnam P2012 Traveller, a representative modern piston twin with a more utility-focused brief. Figures vary by model, certification basis, engine installation and equipment fitted.

Honest ownership note: The DA62 rewards a buyer who approaches it as a sophisticated twin, not as a simple composite aeroplane with an extra engine. Budgeting must cover two diesel powerplants, two constant-speed propellers, retractable-gear maintenance and specialist diagnostic capability for the electronically controlled engines. A pre-purchase inspection should examine the composite structure and any recorded repairs, landing-gear operation and rigging, propeller and engine-control-system records, fuel-system condition, avionics configuration, and the status of any TKS installation. Use a shop familiar with Diamond composite repair practices and Austro engine support, and involve an active DA62 owner community or type specialist before committing. The right maintenance partner matters more here than a bargain hourly rate.

Exterior and cabin

Exterior

• Long, slender low wing with no external bracing and engine nacelles mounted ahead of the leading edge.
• Pointed composite nose, smoothly tapered fuselage and a tall glazed cockpit canopy/windscreen area.

• Two forward gull-wing doors and one large rear cabin door provide access to the cockpit and rear seating area.

• The DA62 features retractable tricycle landing gear and a distinctive T-tail configuration.

Cabin and cockpit

• Two forward pilot seats beneath a broad wraparound windscreen and large side glazing.
• Glass-panel instrument layout centred on two 10-inch displays in G1000 NXi-equipped examples.
• Cabin arrangements may be configured for five or up to seven occupants, with passenger seating behind the cockpit.
• Rear baggage space and a separate nose compartment support touring missions, subject to weight-and-balance limits.

Who is the Diamond DA62 for?

• Pilots stepping from a high-performance single into an owner-flown twin with modern systems.
• Families and business travellers who value a broad cabin, multiple seats and serious cross-country range.
• Operators whose routes make Jet A availability more convenient than Avgas.
• Buyers prepared to train properly for asymmetric operation, electronic engine management and retractable gear.

The DA62 is compelling because it does not imitate yesterday’s light twin. It asks an owner to accept composite-specific maintenance knowledge, electronic engine systems and serious twin-engine discipline, then pays that commitment back with an unusually capable touring platform. For the right pilot, it is a practical aeroplane with very little nostalgia built into it—which, in this corner of general aviation, is rather the point.