A little history:
The DA 20 started life as the Hoffmann HK36 Dimona motor glider
Available in several different versions up to the 125 HP Super Dimona which was also used for ultralight tow and light glider tows.
The DA 20 A-1 Katana is the Very Light Aircraft or VLA version of a motor glider with a nosewheel
Standard class motor gliders have a wingspan of 45 feet or 15 meters.
This was cut to 30 feet or 10 meters for the Katana.
Engine was a hybrid liquid cooled/ air cooled 80 HP Rotax.
Reasonable performance but nothing stellar.
There was briefly a B version of which I know very little.
The DA 20 C-1 Eclipse looks almost identical to the Katana but is a totally different animal.
The 125 HP fuel injected Continental makes is (relatively speaking) a rocket ship compared to the Katana/C150/C152/Tomahawk.
I fly it in Florida from a sealevel airport and if I'm flying solo I cruise climb at 105 IAS with a rate of climb of 600-700 fpm, sometimes higher if it is cool.
This means you climb at the
cruisespeed of an older model 172.
It seems ridiculous but it has virtually the same rate of climb at Vy as it does at Vy + 30 knots.
It will cruise at 130+ TAS all day long. If you pull the power back to 2100 rpm (redline 2800 rpm) it flies at a TAS of 100 Knots all day at a fuel burn of 4 gallons/hr.
I've flown them at 11,500 and on one occasion had a 195 knot GS thanks to a 60 knot tailwind
at 4 gallons/hr.
Of course you'll never get these spectacular TAS numbers in Europa-land if you're stuck below 1500'.
The DA 20 series can not be IFR certified in the USA at least since it lacks pitot heat, alternate static and the required lightning protection.
So they are day/night VFR Very Light Aircraft.
If I was in the market for a light two seater "runaround" it would be #1 on my list. 400+ lbs usefull load remaining
with full fuel.Personally I would go for the MT composite prop (+6 knots) and a simple autopilot integrated in the turn coordinator.
Downsides to this little rocket ship:
- It doesn't ride turbulence very well, it will rattle your teeth
- It needs a moveable cowl flap or something since it has a tendency to run hot on the ground and too cool in the air at cruise.
- That Continental IO-240 is a b
tch in a hot start if you do not follow the hot start procedure to the letter
Oh and Vno and Vne could be a little higher
