Diamond Aircraft flew a DA50 with a Continental CD-300 engine and retractable gear for the first time on 28 October.
The flight was the latest development for the five-place single since the new concept was announced at Aero 2019 in April this year.
Test pilot Sören Pedersen said the new DA50 behaved well during the flight.
“The first flight was conducted by the crew as planned and all systems were working as expected," Pedersen said. "Since all new elements are already well known from other aircraft out of the Diamond aircraft family, the DA50 made a very mature impression from the first lift off on. A first cruise performance test point showed that the expectation could be met easily.
"The DA50 showed a good agility and an 'easy-to-fly' behavior, meaning that the handling qualities were very satisfying on the first impression.”
Originially, the DA50 was to be offered as a fixed-gear aircraft powered by a Safran engine with a possible seven-seater fitted with a turbo-prop also touted.
"Matching the CD-300 Jet-A engine with the new DA50 aircraft by Diamond Aircraft Industries is a rekindling of the relationship that created the original successful Jet-A piston powered aircraft," said Rhett Ross, President and CEO, Continental Aerospace Technologies at the time the project was announced.
The CD-300 is the third engine in Continental's Jet-A fueled piston engine range. The engine produces 300 hp at a fuel flow of 35 litres per hour at 2300 RPM. The engine was specifically designed to power high performance, luxury piston powered aircraft.
Diamond Aircraft aims on basic EASA certification in the northern Summer of 2020.