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in case an engine fails. So, where are the differences?
One major difference is the landing gear. The DA62 has retractable landing gear while the SR22 has fixed gear. While there’s certainly a bit of addi- tional complexity with the retractable landing gear, the biggest issue is go- ing to be the insurance rates. Any re- tractable gear airplane is going to have higher insurance rates as compared to a fixed-gear airplane because of the threat of a gear-up landing. As much as we’d like to think a gear-up landing cannot happen, it does. Stupid will enter any door left open. When stupid happens with a landing gear scenario, it’s really expensive as there’s almost always an associated prop strike and fuselage damage.
But, don’t think the SR22 insur- ance will be cheap. Remember that parachute? Well, if the parachute is deployed, the aircraft is usually to- taled. It is deployed ballistically, rip- ping large portions of the fuselage and rendering the airframe destroyed. The
occupants now have a really good chance of surviving, but that T-handle pull is the death knell for the airframe. So, insurance companies know that an engine failure in an SR22 usually means a complete loss of the airplane in terms of value. So, in the end, both airplanes are going to have similar insurance premiums.
Both airplanes have unique doors with unique entry techniques as com- pared to other all-metal airplanes. In either airplane, you will climb up on the wing to get inside. I find the access on the DA62 to be slightly easier, but not by a large margin. Access to the back seats in a DA62 is certainly bet- ter than the SR22 because the DA62 has separate doors for the back seats.
Once inside, the differences are starker. The SR22 has a side-mounted yoke and a seat that moves fore and aft. The seatback will recline, but the seat will not move up and down. The yoke does not move, so the pilot must use it as the standard for selecting his or her seat position. In order to fit my
legs properly (I’m 6 feet 4 inches tall), the seat must be all the way back. To add to the problem the seat does not go up or down, so to keep my head from rubbing the ceiling, I’ve got to lean the seat back, which brings my arms farther from the yoke. I often end up turning on the autopilot simply so I don’t have to maintain the awkward scrunched position when I’ve got my left hand on the yoke.
The DA62 is the exact opposite. The seat does not move up or down nor forward or aft, but it will recline. All the other controls move so the pilot can gain comfort. There’s no yoke, but a stick for pitch and roll control that comes up between the pilot’s legs just like in older aircraft. I find the stick to be ergonomically comfortable and quite intuitive for airplane control. The rudder pedals have a huge fore/aft travel range, allowing for long-legged pilots to fully extend the legs.
Interestingly, the DA62 was also quite comfortable for Deanna, the pilot who flew with me on the DA62
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July 2020 / TWIN & TURBINE • 17