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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 July 29, 2008Cessna Still Seeking Diesel Engine SolutionCessna Aircraft, which had planned to be delivering Model 172 Skyhawks powered by Thielert Aircraft Engine diesel power plants this year, is still seeking a viable alternative following the German engine maker's insolvency filing earlier this year. Jack Pelton, Cessna s chairman, president and CEO, told Aviation Week Tuesday in an interview at the EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis., that Cessna first began working with Thielert founder Frank Thielert nearly six years ago about an engine that could burn Jet A fuel, but sized properly for installation in light aircraft. Pelton said the first engines Thielert provided did not possess the operating parameters and reliability to meet Cessna standards. So the Wichita aircraft maker spent several years in a cooperative program with Thielert, running engines on test stands and conducting flight tests. The two firms finally agreed that the Thielert Centurion 2.0 engines would meet Cessna s needs and they embarked on a program to win FAA certification for installing the engines in new production aircraft. Pelton said Cessna was scheduled to deliver 160 diesel-powered 172s this year, but those plans were grounded by Thielert s financial problems. With Thielert future uncertain at best, Pelton said ‘We are in discussions with all the engine manufacturers’ about finding another diesel engine. He noted that Continental and Lycoming are both looking at developing diesel aircraft engines. ‘They are all trying to find a way to get there,’ Pelton said, but those programs are at least three years away. Diamond Aircraft is working with Austro Engine to field a replacement for the Thielert Centurions in its DA 42 aircraft and Pelton said he believes the Austro engine will be available to other aircraft manufacturers. But he said the Austro powerplant is ‘a lot heavier’ than the Centurion. Pelton stressed that Cessna remains intensely interested in finding the right diesel power plant because ‘the need is there’ given the soaring cost of aviation gasoline and its limited availability in many parts of the world, But he said ‘we are not going to field a green engine’ with questionable reliability. Until diesel power is available, Pelton said one interim solution under study is the new Lycoming iE2 series engines with integrated electronic engine controls. Lycoming, which hopes to win FAA certification of the first iE2 engine this year, said the new line will offer pilots single-lever operation, alternate fuel capability, improved fuel economy and simpler, easier starting. The integrated engine controls will be available on Lycoming four-, six- and eight-cylinder models. The iE2 Series engines will have dual channel electronic control units, distributed electronic ignition, individual sensors knock sensors and a self-test mode that begins operating as the engine is being started, quickly giving pilots a ‘green light’ if it is OK to proceed or warning if a problem is detected. A Lycoming spokesman said pricing for the new engines has not been finalized. (Aviation Week 7/29/08) DieselAir comment: The 172 and other planes in the 160-180HP range will simply have to wait for a diesel alternative. Three years from now may be enough to see a 2-stroke diesel certified and STCd in that power range. We see two candidates: DeltaHawk as favorite, and Wilksch if it can upgrade its 100-120HP to 160HP fast enough. For flight academies interested in a two-seater burning 3 gallons/hour of Jetfuel, IndUS Aviation may be the first to offer a solution fully compatible with high fuel prices, with its Thorpedo T-211 diesel (Wilksch WAM 100HP 2-stroke.) Meanwhile the sole aero diesel airplane fully STCd worldwide now remains the Cessna 182SMA... posted at 10:51 PM |
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