Origins 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.
Further development 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. ==Design==