This is a DA42 MPP (Multi-Purpose Platform) variant, built in 2007. It was purchased by QinetiQ in 2014 from an owner in Montana, USA, and re-registered in the UK as G-LTPA; the aircraft will be transferred to the military register in due course. The Twin Star is the most modern aircraft in the QinetiQ fleet, being made largely from composite materials with 'glass' cockpit technology. It is currently used by the Empire Test Pilots' School and No 206(R) Squadron for pilot continuation training. In future it will be flown as part of the ETPS syllabus for the training of both student pilots and flight test engineers. The four-seat Twin Star, built by Austrian manufacturer Diamond Aircraft Industries, completed its inaugural flight in December 2002. Power now comes from a pair of Austro AE-300 diesel engines. Aside from its popularity on the civil market, the type has military applications - the MPP variant offers a wide scope of usage in a variety of configurations for utilisation as an aerial platform for research and development flying, as well as testing and evaluating airborne systems.
Much thanks
Mark
