DA-40 Diamond StarDiamond DA 40 DA40 airplane model. Diamond's DA40 is a low wing 4 seat composite airplane that is suitable for everything from primary flight training to personal transportation through hard IFR conditions. The airplane can cruise as fast as 140 knots on 9 gallons per hour of fuel through its 4 cylinder 180hp fuel injected Lycoming engine. The DA40 sells for between $206,000 (conventional instruments, basic Garmin avionics, no autopilot) and $280,000