The Diamond DART is a series of tandem, two-seat civilian and military turboprop trainers manufactured by Austrian Diamond Aircraft, "DART" meaning ''Diamond Aircraft Reconnaissance Trainer''.

Development

The DART-450 made its first flight on 17 May 2016. Certification of the $3.1 million plane was expected by the end of 2017. The first two deliveries were to be for a non-certificated kit version in 2017, while a certificated aircraft was expected to be delivered in September 2018. Diamond intends to deliver 50 aircraft per year. The third prototype was expected to fly in late 2017, powered by a 550hp (410kW)

GE Aviation General Electric Company, doing business as GE Aerospace, is an American aircraft engine supplier that is headquartered in Evendale, Ohio, outside Cincinnati. It is the legal successor to the original General Electric Company founded in 1892, wh ...

engine.

Design

The DART-450 is built predominately from

carbon fibre Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers ( Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon comp ...

. It is powered by a Ivchenko-Progress Motor Sich AI-450S turboprop engine, driving a five-bladed MT Propeller. The cockpit accommodates two crew on

ejection seat In aircraft, an ejection seat or ejector seat is a system designed to rescue the aircraft pilot, pilot or other aircrew, crew of an aircraft (usually military) in an emergency. In most designs, the seat is propelled out of the aircraft by an exp ...

s. The

avionics Avionics (a portmanteau of ''aviation'' and ''electronics'') are the Electronics, electronic systems used on aircraft. Avionic systems include communications, Air navigation, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems, and the ...

are provided by

Garmin Garmin Ltd. is an American multinational technology company based in Olathe, Kansas. The company designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes GPS-enabled products and other navigation, communication, sensor-based, and information ...

and the

fuselage The fuselage (; from the French language, French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds Aircrew, crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an Aircraft engine, engine as wel ...

is able to mount an optional retractable surveillance camera, plus other equipment.

Variants

;Diamond DART-450 :First flown on 17 May 2016. It has a Ivchenko-Progress Motor Sich AI-450S turboprop, weighs empty and has a max takeoff weight. ;Diamond DART-550 :A version powered by a General Electric GE H75-100 turboprop, it was first flown on 24 May 2018. It has eight hours

endurance Endurance (also related to sufferance, forbearance, resilience, constitution, fortitude, persistence, tenacity, steadfastness, perseverance, stamina, and hardiness) is the ability of an organism to exert itself and remain active for a ...

Martin-Baker Martin-Baker Aircraft Company Limited is a British manufacturer of ejection seats and safety-related equipment for aviation. The company was originally an aircraft manufacturer before becoming a pioneer in the field of ejection seats. The comp ...

MK16 ejection seats, a

Garmin G3000 The Garmin G3000 (also G3000H and G2000/G5000) is an avionics interface system designed by Garmin#Avionics, Garmin Aviation for light turbine aircraft. The integrated touchscreen system contains multiple glass cockpit displays for operating a s ...

cockpit, 1,600 kg (3,527 lbs) OEW, 2,400 kg (5,291 lbs)

MTOW The maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) or maximum gross takeoff weight (MGTOW) or maximum takeoff mass (MTOM) of an aircraft, also known as the maximum structural takeoff weight or maximum structural takeoff mass, is the maximum weight at which the p ...

. ;Diamond DART-750 :Upgraded with the

Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 The Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 is a turboprop aircraft engine produced by Pratt & Whitney Canada. Its design was started in 1958, it first ran in February 1960, first flew on 30 May 1961, entered service in 1964, and has been continuously upd ...

turboprop engine rated at , the aircraft had its first flight on 12 June 2023. ; CETC TA-20 :Chinese licensed locally manufactured variant of the DART-450 utilizing alternate Chinese avionics, first flown on 6 November 2018. It is being proposed as a possible candidate for the development of a basic military trainer aircraft for the

People's Liberation Army Air Force The People's Liberation Army Air Force, also referred to as the Chinese Air Force () or the People's Air Force (), is the primary aerial warfare service of the People's Liberation Army. The PLAAF controls most of the PLA's air assets, includi ...

. ;UZGA UTS-800 :Russian localised variant. Being manufactured in Yekaterinberg by Ural Works of Civil Aviation for the

Russian Aerospace Forces The Russian Aerospace Forces or Russian Air and Space Forces (VKS) comprise the air force, aerial, space force, space warfare, and Missile defense, missile defence Military branch, branches of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. It was ...

as a low-cost trainer.

Operators

* - 3 UTS-800 Variants delivered https://defence-blog.com/russian-military-receives-first-uts-800-trainer-aircraft/

Specifications (DART-450, utility (reconnaissance) configuration)

References

External links

* * {{Diamond Aircraft Dart series Single-engined tractor aircraft Low-wing aircraft Single-engined turboprop aircraft Aircraft first flown in 2016 Trainer aircraft