Diamond's DA40 is the platform for the first certified installation of Garmin's new integrated glass panel. The G1000 is said to incorporate more features and offer better situational awareness to pilots by getting rid of all the conventional panel-mounted instruments and rolling their functions into two 10-inch sunlight-readable displays. In addition to all the information you'd expect on the primary flight display and multifunction display screens, the DA40 installation includes digital audio, a WAAS-capable IFR GPS, VHF navigation with ILS and VHF communication through 16-watt transceivers and 8.33-kHz-channel spacing. The electronics bundle also has Mode S, solid-state attitude and heading, a digital air data computer and optional weather and terrain data. It's all hooked up to a Bendix/King KAP two-axis autopilot. All those goodies will add $25,000 to the cost of a dial-and-gauge IFR-equipped DA40. The tidy package enabled Diamond engineers to redesign the panel to optimize its form and function. The jet-style, laser-etched polycarbonate overlay adds the final high-tech touch, according to a Diamond news release. "The G1000 avionics system is revolutionizing the way aircraft are being designed and we are proud to be the first to offer this exciting equipment in an aircraft positioned to serve both the recreational and training markets," said John Gauch, Diamond's vice president of North American sales. The system will also be available on the DA42 TwinStar, which is now being flight-tested in Europe.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/briefs/diamond-goes-glass-with-garmin