With no fewer than four airborne-sensing versions of the DA42 on static display here, Diamond Aircraft of Austria is staking a major claim to the growing market for low-cost surveillance platforms. Since entering the market two years ago, the privately held company has already sold 12 DA42 MPPs (multipurpose platforms) based on the popular DA42 touring aircraft.
Diamond Airborne Sensing (DAS) has adopted a modular pod philosophy to cater to the disparate needs of air forces, law enforcement and civilian remote-sensing. The nose and belly mounting hardpoints are standard, but the kit that can be attached to them varies widely. The “universal nose” can accept EO/IR gimbals, high-definition video cameras, or large-format digital cameras. Two sizes of belly pod are on display, the smaller one capable of housing the latest mini-SAR radars, the larger sized for a laser scanner.
