Demand is growing for airborne sensors from Austria’s Diamond Aircraft Industries, says CEO Christian Dries. Its Airborne Sensing Division is winning a lot of tenders for its DA42 MPP (Multi-Purpose Platform); 15 new-generation DA42s fitted with Diamond’s Austro engines are already flying, and another 30 to 40 of these special-mission aircraft will be delivered by year’s end, he tells BA.

Austria’s Diamond Aircraft has partnered with U.S. company Aurora Flight Sciences, which uses a DA42 light twin as the basis of its DA42M-OPV Centaur optionally piloted vehicle (OPV) that is to fly in September. Diamond CEO Christian Dries defines his twin-engined OPV as a more useful and effective tool than a UAV. “With an OPV the pilot can fly the aircraft through controlled airspace, and whenever flying gets dirty, dangerous or boring, it flies hands-off.”

Swiss-based RUAG Business Aviation is offering a fully integrated Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 flight deck retrofit for legacy Piaggio P180 Avantis. “The glass flight deck upgrade will cost around $550,000 complete and should increase the aircraft’s Blue Book [value],” says Beat Höhener, vice president, business aviation. “There is no one else offering this package at the moment, and we will be focusing our activities primarily on the Europe, Middle East and Africa markets as a strategic partner of Rockwell Collins.”