General Questions

Question 1

Describe the airframe.

Answer 1

The airframe is composite, made from fiberglass and carbon fiber, with a low-wing construction and a t-tail.

Question 2

What material is the skin made from?

Answer 2

Fiberglass and carbon fiber

Question 3

Describe the power plant in the DA40 (Type engine, # of cylinders, etc.).

Answer 3

It’s a Lycoming IO-360-M1-A, 4 cylinder/4 stroke, horizontally-opposed, direct-drive, 180hp, fuel-injected engine with a constant-speed propeller

Question 4

When you advance the throttle, what are you doing?

Answer 4

Increasing the throttle increases manifold pressure, which is increasing the quantity of fuel/air mixture being supplied to the engine

Question 5

What does the mixture control do?

Answer 5

The mixture controls the proportion of fuel in the fuel/air mixture being delivered to the engine

Question 6

What does the prop control do?

Answer 6

The prop lever controls the propeller governor which regulates the pitch of the propeller and, thusly, engine RPM.

Question 7

What is the normal oil pressure range? What is the red line?

Answer 7

56-95 PSI, red line = 97 PSI

Question 8

What is the normal oil temperature range? What is the red line?

Answer 8

149-230ºF, red line = 245º

Question 9

What is the maximum cylinder heat temperature and what would you do if you had a high CHT reading?

Answer 9

500º is maximum, 150–475 is the normal range, but above 400º would be undesirable, 435º max in fast cruise. If too high, enrich the mixture, reduce power, level off

Question 10

How is the engine cooled and how fast should it be cooled?

Answer 10

The cooling rate should not exceed 50ºF/minute – abruptly cutting the throttle when the engine is very hot in a descent could overwhelm the self-adapting inlet

Question 11

What type of propeller is on the DA40 ?

Answer 11

• 556JM features a 3-blade MT MTV-12-B constant-speed wood-composite propeller – 70.9 in. diameter
• 419AM, 2-blade Hartzell – 74 in. diameter

Question 12

How does the prop governor work?

Answer 12

The governor regulates the supply of engine oil to the prop, controlling it’s pitch. The selected RPM is held constant regardless of airspeed/throttle setting

Question 13

What is the total fuel capacity with standard tanks? Long range tanks?

What is the usable fuel capacity?

Answer 13

Total: 41.2 gal with standard tanks, 51 gal with long-range tanks

Usable: 40 gal with standard tanks, 50 gal with long-range tanks

Question 14

What is the avionics power switch used for?

Answer 14

COM2 
GPS/NAV2 
MFD 
Electric fuel pump 
Instrument lights 
Strobe lights 
Position lights 
Taxi light

Question 15

How many volts/amps is the battery? What about the entire electrical system/alternator, how many volts/amps?

Answer 15

Battery is 24v and 11 amp hrs. Alternator is 28v and 70 amps.

Question 16

What does the Essential Bus Switch do?

Answer 16

It removes power from the main and avionics buses and does not allow the alternator to operate. It powers the most essential equipment in the result of an electrical failure.

Question 17

What is on the Essential Bus?

Answer 17

Air Data Computer (airspeed, altitude, vertical speed, OAT, TAS) 
Attitude and Heading Reference System (attitude, heading) 
PFD (in composite mode) 
Pitot Heat 
Flaps 
COM 1
GPS/NAV 1
Transponder 
Landing light 
Instrument flood lights 
Engine instruments 
Starter