Aircraft comparison

Diamond DA40 vs Robin DR400: cost sharing compared

Two popular choices for a shared flight. Here is how their typical UK running costs compare, and what each person pays.
Measure Diamond DA40 Robin DR400
Seats 4 4
Typical wet hire / hour £255-£330 £200-£265
Per person / hour, all seats full ≈ £73 ≈ £58
Typical cruise 130 kt 120 kt
Hire cost per nautical mile £2.25 £1.94
Fuel burn 34 L/hr (AVGAS 100LL) 34 L/hr (AVGAS 100LL)
100 nm trip: time 46 min 50 min
100 nm trip: hire cost £225.38 £194.17
100 nm trip: per person, all seats full £56.34 £48.54

Which is cheaper to share?

  • The Robin DR400 is usually cheaper to hire by the hour.
  • Both have 4 seats, so with every seat filled the Robin DR400 is cheaper per person per hour.
  • The Diamond DA40 is faster, so on a 100 nm trip the Robin DR400 costs less to fly overall.

Rates vary a lot between clubs, so use the cost sharing calculator with your own operator's figures. Whichever you choose, no passenger can pay more than an equal share, so you always pay at least yours - see what counts as a direct cost.

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Figures are indicative UK club wet hire rates and typical cruise performance, not quotes. Trip figures assume still air at cruise speed and exclude airfield charges.