Cessna 172 Skyhawk vs Diamond Aircraft Da42 Vi vs Piaggio Avanti Evo
The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a single‑engine piston aircraft primarily used for training and short personal trips. It typically carries four people including the pilot and is best suited to shorter legs, with practical range generally in the mid‑hundreds of nautical miles depending on fuel reserves and power settings. The Diamond Aircraft DA42 VI is a twin‑engine piston aircraft positioned as a more capable personal or training platform for multi‑engine operations, offering higher cruise efficiency and redundancy. It commonly seats four, with some configurations allowing more, and usually delivers a longer, more flexible range than a Skyhawk, often around or above the 1,000‑nautical‑mile class in economy cruise conditions. The Piaggio Avanti EVO is a twin‑turboprop business aircraft designed for fast, pressurized executive travel. It carries substantially more passengers, typically in the six to nine range depending on interior layout, and supports longer trips at higher cruise speeds, generally in the roughly 1,500‑nautical‑mile class, making it the most capable of the three for passenger transport and point‑to‑point business missions.
| Spec | Cessna Skyhawk | Diamond Aircraft DA42 VI | Piaggio Avanti EVO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | |||
| DOC / nm | $ 0.95 | $ 1.11 | — |
| Total Seats | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Flight Rules | VFR | IFR | IFR |
| Manufacturer | Cessna | Diamond Aircraft | Piaggio |
| Aircraft Name | 172 Skyhawk | DA42 VI | Avanti EVO |
| Certification | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA | FAA / EASA |
| Max Range (nm) | 640 | 1273 | 1530 |
| DOC / nm / Seat | $ 0.24 | $ 0.28 | — |
| OEM Verification | Un-Verified | Un-Verified | Un-Verified |
| Direct Operating Cost | $ 118 | $ 211 | — |
| Flight Deck (Base Spec) | Garmin G1000 NXi | Garmin G1000 NXi | Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 |
| Max Cruise Speed (ktas) | 124 | 190 | 400 |
| Base Aircraft Price (USD) | $415,000 | $869,000 | $ 7,695,000 |
| Useful Load (lbs) | — | 1298 | 3775 |
| Cockpit | — | — | 2 |
| Min Crew | — | — | 1 |
| Max Cabin Seats | — | — | 7 |
| Standard Cabin Seats | — | — | 6 |
| Cabin | |||
| Total Seats | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Cockpit | — | — | 2 |
| Lavatory | — | — | No |
| Min Crew | — | — | 1 |
| Max Cabin Seats | — | — | 7 |
| Cabin Pressure (psi) | — | — | 9 |
| Galley / Refreshment | — | — | No |
| Standard Cabin Seats | — | — | 6 |
| SL Cabin Altitude (ft) | — | — | 24000 |
| Max Cabin Altitude (ft) | — | — | 6600 |
| Engine | |||
| FADEC | No | Yes | Yes |
| Model | IO-360-L2A | AE300 | PT6A–66B |
| Fuel Type | AvGas | Diesel / Jet Fuel | — |
| TBO (hrs) | 2000 | 1800 | 3600 |
| TBO (yrs) | 12 | — | — |
| Horsepower | 200 | 168 | 850 |
| Fuel Delivery | Fuel Injected | Fuel Injected | — |
| No. of Engines | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Fuel Capacity (gal) | 42 | 79.4 | — |
| Usable Fuel (gal) | — | 76.4 | — |
| Flat Rating | — | — | ISA + 28 |
| Fuel Burn (gph) | — | — | 100 |
| Dimensions | |||
| Length (ft) | 27.2 | 28.1 | 47.3 |
| Wingspan (ft) | 36.1 | 44.5 | 47.1 |
| Cabin Width (ft) | 3.4 | — | 6.1 |
| Cabin Height (ft) | 4 | — | 5.8 |
| Cabin Length (ft) | 11.9 | — | 14.9 |
| Overall Height (ft) | 9 | 8.2 | 13.1 |
| Baggage Volume Int. (cu. ft) | 30 | — | 35.2 |
| Cabin Width - Floor (ft) | — | — | 3.5 |