Diamond DA62

Updated: October 2026 – On the apron of a regional airport stands a white twin that at first glance looks like a DA42: T-tail, smooth composite fuselage, long wings. But something about the proportions is off. The cabin is longer and taller, has one more window, and at engine start it sounds like a strong turbodiesel. Then you are most likely looking at a Diamond DA62 – the largest piston aircraft from Wiener Neustadt. Here you will learn how to identify it with confidence, what is behind the 1,999 and 2,300 kg versions and why the DA62 MPP surveillance variant is especially exciting for spotters.

What is the Diamond DA62?

The DA62 is a twin-engine touring aircraft seating up to seven from Diamond Aircraft in Lower Austria. Like all Diamond types, the airframe is made almost entirely of carbon fiber composite; only the fuel tanks between the spars are aluminum, according to the manufacturer. Technically, it is a blend of two family members: the fuselage comes from the single-engine DA50, while many systems and the basic concept come from the DA42 Twin Star.

While the DA42 is known mainly as a training aircraft, the DA62 targets owners, business travelers and special missions. It offers more space, more payload, more range and a higher service ceiling. Power comes from two Austro Engine AE330 units from Diamond’s engine subsidiary: turbocharged 2.0-liter common-rail engines with 180 hp each that burn jet fuel. An electronic engine control manages injection and propeller speed, so the pilot operates just one power lever per engine.

Add the full equipment of a modern touring twin: hydraulic retractable landing gear, MT three-blade constant-speed propellers, the Garmin G1000 NXi glass cockpit with GFC 700 autopilot and yaw damper. According to Diamond, options include TKS de-icing for flight in known icing conditions, weather radar and air conditioning.

Origins: from the DA52 to the DA62

Diamond introduced the project in March 2012 – at that point still under the name DA52. The prototype made its first flight in April 2012, after only about six months of development according to the manufacturer. The same month, Diamond showed the aircraft at AERO in Friedrichshafen, Europe’s most important general aviation trade show.

It took another three years or so to reach series maturity. At one point, a fly-by-wire control system was also discussed as an option, but it did not arrive as announced. In 2014, the production version was given the new name DA62, with a larger horizontal stabilizer and an additional cabin window. EASA certification followed in April 2015, and the first aircraft were delivered from autumn 2015. The US aviation authority FAA certified the type in February 2016.

Date	Milestone
March 2012	Introduction as the DA52
April 2012	First flight of the prototype
2014	Production version renamed DA62
April 2015	EASA type certification
Autumn 2015	First deliveries
February 2016	FAA certification
2016	“Best new aircraft” award at the fliegermagazin Award
July 2026	Delivery of a DA62 MPP SurveyStar to Primul Meridian (Romania)

Production figures exist only as snapshots: in spring 2019, a good 120 DA62s had been built, and by April 2024 the number of deliveries stood at over 270 according to available figures. Diamond does not give a current total on its type page. Besides the main plant in Wiener Neustadt, Diamond Aircraft Canada also plays a role: the Brazilian company Aeromot announced in 2023 that it would assemble DA62s from kits supplied by Diamond Aircraft Canada.

1,999 or 2,300 kg: two weight classes

A special feature of the DA62 is that Diamond offers it with two maximum takeoff masses. According to the manufacturer, the heavy version at 2,300 kg allows up to seven seats with a third row and up to 702 kg of payload. The lighter variant at 1,999 kg stays just under the two-tonne mark – a limit on which weight-dependent air traffic control charges in Europe hinge, among other things. In return, it carries correspondingly less and is designed more as a five-seater.

For spotters in Germany, this has a visible consequence: the registration. Aircraft up to two tonnes get registrations in the group D-E (single-engine) or D-G (multi-engine); heavier aircraft up to 5.7 tonnes fall into the group D-I. A German DA62 can therefore be flying with either D-G or D-I – so the registration already tells you the weight version. German aircraft registrations and their weight classes explains how the system works; in Austria, Austrian OE registrations helps you out.

The cabin: a touring aircraft, not a trainer

Inside, the difference from the DA42 shows most clearly. Diamond offers the DA62 with two pilot seats, a second row – optionally with more comfortable individual seats – and a third row for up to seven people. Anyone who needs only five seats gets a rear baggage compartment instead. Front baggage compartments are also fitted, holding up to 30 kg per side according to Diamond.

That makes the DA62 an alternative for routes otherwise flown by classic touring twins such as the Beechcraft Baron or the Piper PA-34 Seneca – or single-engine turboprops such as the Piper PA-46 M600. With a service ceiling of 20,000 ft and, according to Diamond, around 180 knots cruise speed at 85 % power, it is designed for trips around Europe by company owners and private pilots. VFR and IFR explains the difference between visual and instrument flight, which matters for such trips.

The features that are enough to identify it

The biggest challenge is not recognizing a DA62 as a Diamond in the first place – the T-tail and composite fuselage almost always make that easy. Telling it apart from the smaller DA42 is harder.

The wingspan helps too: at 14.55 m, the DA62 has about a meter more than the DA42. Side by side on the apron you notice that, from a distance alone less so. As always, the registration provides the final proof – basic tips are in Identifying small aircraft.

DA62 MPP: the surveillance version

For many spotters, the DA62 MPP is the most exciting part of the family. MPP stands for Multi-Purpose Platform. Diamond offers it as a complete package of aircraft, sensors and mission system. Two pilots sit up front, the second row holds a modular workstation for one or two operators, and behind it is a mission compartment for computers and equipment.

The concept is built on endurance at low operating costs. According to Diamond, the DA62 MPP burns around 28 liters of jet fuel per hour in slow mission flight at 35 % power; typical mission length is six to eight hours, with a maximum of 9.6 hours. Up to 215 kg remains for mission equipment; with an additional approval, takeoff mass rises to 2,360 kg.

The three packages

Package	Purpose	Typical equipment according to Diamond
Guardian	Border protection, maritime surveillance, reconnaissance	Thermal imaging and daylight camera in the nose, radar under the fuselage, data link and satellite communications
Vanguard	Search and rescue, disaster protection, environmental monitoring	Camera turret in the nose, wide-area sensors under the fuselage, mission software
SurveyStar	Aerial photo surveying, laser scanning, resource exploration	Laser scanner in the nose, large-format camera under the fuselage

At Diamond, the SurveyStar is regarded as the successor to the DA42 MPP GeoStar. In July 2026, Diamond reported the delivery of a SurveyStar to the Romanian survey company Primul Meridian, which has been operating the manufacturer’s special-mission aircraft for almost 20 years.

Who flies the DA62 MPP

From the outside, you recognize an MPP by sensor turrets under the nose, fairings or openings in the belly and additional antennas. Tracking military aircraft online explains how to find government and military aircraft on the flight tracker – and why some do not show up at all.

DA62, DA42, Baron, Seneca or P2006T?

At regional airports you will meet several light twins. The finder helps narrow it down.

The Tecnam P2006T is a high-wing aircraft with Rotax engines and much smaller. Its bigger sibling, the Tecnam P2012 Traveller, is a high-wing aircraft with fixed landing gear for feeder services and sits more in the class above. For special missions, the DA62 MPP competes at the upper end with turboprops such as the Beechcraft King Air 200, which carry more payload but also burn considerably more fuel.

Where to find the DA62

Unlike the DA42, the DA62 isn’t tied to flight schools. You meet it where owners, companies and service providers fly: at regional airports (tips in Spotting at small regional airports), at general aviation airfields with instrument approaches and in the general aviation areas of large airports, often next to business jets and turboprops. There it is a typical guest for day trips – more on this environment in Spotting general aviation and Spotting business jets.

Germany, Austria and Switzerland

In the German-speaking region, DA62s fly with private and corporate owners, survey companies and research institutions. Fleets change constantly, so the best approach is to search the tracking service for the code DA62. You can find worthwhile destinations in Regional airports in Germany for spotters, and smaller airfields with Finding small airfields on maps. You follow a specific aircraft with Tracking an aircraft by registration.

Around Wiener Neustadt, where Diamond builds and test-flies its aircraft, the chances of new aircraft and demonstrators are good. You can combine the visit with the Aviaticum aviation museum in Wiener Neustadt.

Place	Chance of a hit	Why
AERO Friedrichshafen	high	Diamond regularly exhibits there, guest aircraft fly in
Area around Wiener Neustadt	medium to high	Manufacturer’s plant and flight testing
Regional airports with a GA area	medium	Touring traffic from owners and companies
Large hubs	low	Small aircraft rare, at most at the GA terminal
Special-mission versions	Chance	Missions depend on contracts and weather

A sure bet is AERO at Friedrichshafen Airport: the DA62 celebrated its premiere there as the DA52, and Diamond regularly shows its fleet. Judging the rarity of a sighting helps you put your sighting in context.

Photo tips for the DA62

Common mix-ups and how to rule them out

Conclusion

The Diamond DA62 carries the DA42’s recipe – carbon fiber, jet-fuel diesel, glass cockpit and single-lever operation – over to a larger touring aircraft seating up to seven. As an MPP, it is an economical sensor platform for firefighting, border protection, the military and surveying. T-tail and composite fuselage give away the type; telling it from the DA42 works via fuselage length, row of windows and, in Germany, often the registration alone.