The Most Advanced Single-Engine Piston Aircraft Ever Built?

The Most Advanced Single-Engine Piston Aircraft Ever Built?

What if a single-engine piston aircraft could cruise at 181 knots — on Jet-A fuel — with a carbon fiber airframe and no structural lifetime limit?
That's exactly what Diamond Aircraft built with the DA50 RG.
Powered by the Continental CD-300 — a 300HP, twin-turbocharged, liquid-cooled diesel engine with FADEC — this aircraft burns just 8 gallons per hour at range power. Compare that to the Cirrus SR22T's 15–18 gal/hr on AvGas. The DA50 RG is nearly 50% more fuel-efficient.
In this video, we go bone-deep into the full technical breakdown:
✅ Carbon fiber composite airframe & glider-heritage wings
✅ Continental CD-300 engine — geared, turbocharged, common-rail injection
✅ FADEC — single-lever power control
✅ Performance numbers — speed, range, climb & fuel burn
✅ DA50 RG vs Cirrus SR22T — head to head
Range: 820 nm. Service ceiling: 20,000 ft. 5 seats. Jet fuel. One engine.
This is Austrian engineering at its finest — and it might just be the most ambitious single-engine piston aircraft flying today.
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