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Philip:
My son just earned his PP Cert. and I am starting back up. We want
to buy a plane.....D40 vs Tiger......D40 gets nod from us except for
the low wing loading-turbulance problems and cockpit heating in
summer.....we live in Virginia......not as much a problem in an AG-
5B with higher loading, but the Tiger is an old design with much
less sophisticated electronics, and we both want to continue through
IFR on the plane we purchase.....Your insight please.....
Thanks,
Al
-- Alfred Griffin, April 29, 2006
The DA40 is designed as a trainer and should be a lot more rugged and forgiving. My mechanic (one of the best) said "you wouldn't be satisfied with a Tiger" when I asked him about it (like all good mechanics, he loves Beech airplanes and tolerates most of the rest). The DA40 is also a mass-produced airplane that should be simpler and easier to own than a boutique brand (though probably not as easy as a late 1970s Cessna 172!).So... new DA40 versus new Tiger, I think the answer is clear. If you can find a good condition old Tiger for $50,000 and add a $2500 Garmin 396, I think the Tiger begins to look better.
-- Philip Greenspun, April 29, 2006
The tiger is fun and fast enough and simple. Cool in summer with the open canopy and allowed partially in flight. Maintenance the same as a C152 I had for many years. The avionics can be old in the older planes. I'm a 11 year tiger driver. See AYA.org.
-- Edward Prest, January 31, 2007