Original article published: diamondaircraft.com
Diamond Aircraft announces the successful delivery of the first DA62 MPP (Multi-Purpose Platform) to the UK aerospace services company 2Excel Aviation. The aircraft is the first of three on order. Two aircraft are configured for Maritime Reconnaissance; one will be equipped with Aerial Survey equipment.
The new aircraft add the most modern technology to 2Excel’s fleet of Special Missions aircraft and is reducing the carbon footprint significantly at the same time.
Equipped with the first-ever Trakka TC-375 camera and the Diades Marine C-Ranger 200 maritime radar, the aircraft can locate and identify targets at sea most efficiently. The DA62 MPP at loiter speed can achieve mission flight times of up to 10 hours and collects the same data as larger platforms at a fraction of the cost.
“It is fantastic to see how this still young relationship with 2Excel has grown. 1.5 years ago, we first visited 2Excel with a DA62 MPP for some flight trials. Soon they will have three of our planes in operation. It was a perfect match from the beginning”, says Mario Spiegel, Sales Manager Diamond Aircraft Special Mission Aircraft Division.
Arnie Palmer, 2Excel Aviation’s Director of Special Missions, said: “These DA62 MPPs bolster our fleet of special missions aircraft to service our rapidly growing customer base. They’re equipped to handle many of our mission requirements, and our crews have been training on how to use them to best effect so that we can continue to provide the superb level of service our customers have come to expect from 2Excel Aviation.”
Purchasing the DA62 is aligned with both 2Excel’s fleet upgrade strategy and the company’s commitment to reducing emissions as part of its wider carbon reduction and ESG strategy.
Palmer added: “These DA62s will make our operations even more efficient by reducing operating and maintenance costs. Packed with the latest high-tech sensors and equipment, they will also allow us to generate the required taskings with fewer flying hours, further driving down costs and our carbon footprint and leading to better outcomes for our customers, as well as giving our crews the most up-to-date digital cockpits, enhancing flight safety.”
About Diamond Aircraft’s Special Mission Concept
Like no other special mission aircraft supplier, Diamond Aircraft has taken its special mission concept into a 360° turnkey solution: one single point of contact. The special mission turnkey solutions comprise a cost-efficient fixed-wing remote sensing Diamond Aircraft platform, airborne sensors, data links, ground stations, global support, spare parts, tooling, transport, as well as the corresponding pilot, operator, and maintenance training. To find out more, please visit: www.diamondaircraft.com/en/special-mission/special-mission-concept.
About the DA62 MPP
The DA62 MPP is the latest variant of Diamond Aircraft’s successful Special Mission Aircraft portfolio. The all-carbon-fiber, twin-engine aircraft is equipped with a state-of-the-art glass cockpit and a fully integrated autopilot. It is powered by two turbocharged jet-fuel engines with superb fuel efficiency. The carbon fibre material provides for unlimited airframe life and is not subject to corrosion, even when operated in saline and humid environments. Together, fuel efficiency and the unlimited airframe life combine for extremely low direct operating costs, making the DA62 MPP the most cost-efficient Special Mission Aircraft in its class. To learn more about the DA62 MPP capabilities, please visit: www.diamondaircraft.com/en/special-mission/aircraft/da62-mpp/overview
About 2 Excel
2Excel is an innovative aerospace services business working across a range of industries, including defence and security, engineering, events, and disaster response. Activity is organised around two business lines: 2Excel Aviation, which comprises Capability Development, Special Missions and Charter; and 2Excel Engineering, which is a Maintenance and Repair Organisation (MRO) for Boeing and Airbus narrow-bodied aircraft.
Among the Company’s work is its support for the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency, including delivering fixed-wing Search and Rescue missions for HM Coastguard and aerial tasks for other government departments, such as border, fisheries and counter-pollution patrols.
Founded in 2005 by two Royal Air Force pilots, 2Excel has grown from five people and four aerobatic aircraft to over 500 people and a fleet of 30. In 2018, 2Excel Aviation became 51 percent employee owned through the creation of an Employee Ownership Trust.
