AIR.ONE

Cesna Citationm2 vs Diamond Aircraft Da42 Vi vs Diamond Aircraft Da62 vs Piper M500

The Diamond DA42 VI is a light twin designed primarily for efficient personal travel, training, and surveillance roles. It typically carries four people (with baggage, depending on fuel and mission) and offers solid cross-country capability, with a range commonly around 1,000–1,200 nautical miles in long-range cruise planning. The Diamond DA62 sits a class up as a larger, more family- and business-oriented twin. It is built around six-seat capacity (often configurable), providing more cabin space and payload flexibility than the DA42 while maintaining efficient diesel-twin operating economics. Its typical planning range is in a similar ballpark or slightly higher than the DA42, often around 1,100–1,300 nautical miles depending on configuration and power settings. The Piper M500 is a pressurized, single-engine turboprop positioned for higher-speed personal and business transportation. It generally seats five to six, and while its range is often comparable to the DA62 (roughly around 1,000–1,300 nautical miles), it distinguishes itself with greater cruise speed, pressurization for higher-altitude comfort, and turboprop performance, trading the redundancy of a twin for simplicity and speed.

SpecDiamond Aircraft DA42 VIDiamond Aircraft DA62Piper M500
Summary
DOC / nm$ 1.11$ 1.18$ 3.11
Total Seats456
Flight RulesIFRIFRIFR
ManufacturerDiamond AircraftDiamond AircraftPiper
Aircraft NameDA42 VIDA62M500
CertificationFAA / EASAFAA / EASAFAA / EASA
Max Range (nm)127312831000
DOC / nm / Seat$ 0.28$ 0.24$ 0.78
OEM VerificationUn-VerifiedUn-VerifiedVERIFIED
Useful Load (lbs)129815651698
Direct Operating Cost$ 211$ 225$ 579
Flight Deck (Base Spec)Garmin G1000 NXiGarmin G1000 NXiGarmin G1000 NXi
Max Cruise Speed (ktas)190190260
Base Aircraft Price (USD) $869,000 $1,290,000 $2,122,600
Cockpit22
Max Cabin Seats5
Standard Cabin Seats34
Min Crew1
Cabin
Total Seats455
Cockpit22
Max Cabin Seats5
Standard Cabin Seats34
LavatoryNo
Min Crew1
Galley LocationMID
Cabin Pressure (psi)5.5
Galley / RefreshmentRefreshment Centre
SL Cabin Altitude (ft)12600
Max Cabin Altitude (ft)8244
Engine
FADECYesYesNo
ModelAE300AE330PT6A-42A
Fuel TypeDiesel / Jet FuelDiesel / Jet Fuel
TBO (hrs)180018003600
Horsepower168180500
Fuel DeliveryFuel InjectedFuel Injected
No. of Engines221
Usable Fuel (gal)76.486
Fuel Capacity (gal)79.489170
Flat RatingISA + 55
Dimensions
Length (ft)28.130.129.6
Wingspan (ft)44.547.843.2
Overall Height (ft)8.29.311.3
Cabin Width (ft)4.1
Cabin Height (ft)4
Cabin Length (ft)12.3
Cabin Volume (cu. ft)165
Baggage Volume Int. (cu. ft)20