Diamond Aircraft has released a rough-strip version of their popular DA40 four-seater.
Called the DA40 Tundra Star, the aircraft features a diesel engine as standard and stronger undercarriage to deal with unforgiving runway surfaces.
"The aircraft was requested by the Russian market for rugged terrain and snow and has been a big success," says Hawker Pacific's Stephen Pembro.
"I’m sure we would have a similar requirement in our market especially running on Jet-A1 and a decent range."
The Tundra Star undercart is devoid of spats, but features balloon tyres, a Berringer rough-braking system, improved wheel base and special reinforcements and wheel rims.
According to Diamond, the result is a more robust undercart with improved propeller clearance.
Under the cowl is an AE300 168-hp diesel that can run on several types of fuel, including Jet-A and Jet-A1. The fuel consumption of 19 lph gives the Tundra Star a projected range of 893 nm with long-range tanks.
The penalty for the new undercart comes in a reduced maximum speed of 143 KTAS compared with the 154 of the standard DA40-NG.
More information on the Tundra Star is available from the Hawker Pacific website.