Diamond Aircraft
 |
|
| GmbH | |
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Predecessor | HOAC |
| Founded | 1981 in Friesach, Carinthia |
| Founder | Wolf Hoffmann |
| Headquarters | Wiener Neustadt, Lower Austria, Austria |
|
Key people
|
Christian Dries (CEO) |
| Products | Aircraft, Simulators |
|
Number of employees
|
2000 (2009) |
| Website | www.diamond-air.at |
Diamond Aircraft Industries is an Austrian-based manufacturer of general aviation aircraft and motor gliders, which also has a large manufacturing facility in London, Ontario, Canada.
The company produces a range of light aircraft and was engaged in the development of a single-engined jet aircraft, the Diamond D-Jet.
The company was founded as Hoffmann Flugzeugbau by Wolf Hoffmann in Friesach, Carinthia, in 1981, to produce the H36 all-composite motor glider. Becoming Hoffman Aircraft Limited in 1985, and a subsidiary of Simmering-Graz-Pauker AG, the company moved its headquarters to Vienna. In 1987 the company moved its factory to Wiener Neustadt, Lower Austria. In 1991 the parent company was renamed HOAC AG and purchased by the Dries Family. In the same year, the company started development of the HK36R a Rotax 912 powered motorglider, which was the precursor to the DV20 Katana, the company's first production general aviation aircraft.
In 1992, to supply the North American market more directly, the company opened a second manufacturing facility in London, Ontario, Canada. The Canadian operation used the name Dimona Aircraft until it was changed to Diamond Aircraft in 1996, while the parent company remained HOAC.
The Austrian-built DV20 Katana was certified in 1993, and the first Canadian-built DA20 model was delivered in 1995. It received the Flight magazine's Eagle Award, for best light aircraft in the same year. 1997 marked the delivery of the 500th DV20 and the introduction of the DA20-C1, which had improved performance and load capabilities. The DA20-C1 Eclipse (an improved version of the DA20-C1) also entered production.
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Wikipedia