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When will a diesel be available for my aircraft? |
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News, facts, and comments on the coming revolution for piston-engine aircraft.News of March 26, 2006Plane and Pilot: They finally saw the light...This is it: A major US aviation periodical, the respected Plane and Pilot, states that "aero diesel is coming, you have better believe it". The occasion is their good report on the Cessna 182 SMA, after other good reports on the DA 42 Thielert. No one else than Bill Cox did the SMA test and signed the paper. Coming from him is significant, since his other line of business is ferrying GA aircraft, often single engines, accross the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He has the right experience to understand why diesel is better. See Plane and Pilot, April 06, p. 35. A few comments: Both the SMA 230 HP and the Thielert 135 HP are first generation aero diesels, tuned to operate within very restrictive provisional FAA STCs. This is why the 182SMA is limited to 140 knots and to a 12,500 ft ceiling, and are certified for TBOs of 2,000 hours. Anyone familiar with diesel technology know that these engines will do much, much better than that. A Cessna single (or Piper, or other) that would be entirely redesigned around an OEM diesel instead of retrofitted with limited means will find more effective ways to handle the cooling aspect, which is naturally more demanding with a smaller, high compression, turbocharged engine. Progress of diesel technology is only beginning now. Meanwhile, any North American aircraft owner who is risking his money on a 182 SMA, or a 172 Thielert, or even an Experimental Thorp 211 Wilksch or DeltaHawk Velocity is making a sound investment. Sun n Fun will be interesting this year! posted at 9:24 AM |
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