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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.In 1998, one diesel engine flew on a converted airplane for the first time since 1945. Today, close to 4,000 singles and twins are flying. This is the beginning of a worldwide trend which will eventually allow a rebirth of the piston-engined aircraft, around new specs and new missions. DieselAir Research, Inc., the publisher of The DieselAir Newsletter, offers strategic intelligence services to the aircraft industry, its suppliers and its customers who ambition to benefit from this global change of paradigm which will mean new markets, new concepts, new services, new materials and components… You may be interested in our services if your firm designs and/or manufactures aircraft and components, aero engines, avionics, propellers and engine components, fuel systems or additives, advanced materials, or industry specific machinery for manufacturing of these; or provides aviation services such as fuel production or distribution; flight training, aircraft chartering, maintenance and operations (FBO’s); or airport management and design, traffic control, hangar, materials handling and storage equipment; or consulting and financial services for these industries; or advertising, sales promotion, trade shows, specialized publications. To know more, send a confidential email inquiry to Dr. Eng. André Teissier-duCros at atc@geanoverseas.com News of November 16, 2010Introducing the Raikhlin RED A03 500HP aero diesel.
 Press Release: Raikhlin Aircraft Engine Developments GmbH, a new venture founded by Wladimir Railkhlin and his associates, successfully completed a full-scale flight test of the most powerful modern diesel piston engine designed for General Aviation. Initial flight test on a modified Yak 52 is the beginning of the exploration of defined parameters for RED A03 engine installation within which the engine may operate – from normal to extreme conditions. It is a water & oil-cooled double OHC, V12, common-rail direct injection engine. The propeller is gear-driven (single-stage, 1/1.67 ratio). Compression is 16.5. It is the product of RED Aircraft GmbH in Adenau, Germany. Testing location was limited by the range of the telemetry equipment on the ground. The engine generates 370 kW (500HP) take off power in basic specification, at around 3,900 rpm, showing a specific (JETA/diesel) fuel consumption of 210-220 gr/kWh. Full spec. engine weight at the moment is 320 kg (705 Lbs.),- two alternators, starter, engine/gearbox oil heat exchanger, prop governor. Initial test data showed the engine performance met all expectations, says RED’s management. Information collected from this test, together with data from former development tests, will be evaluated to better understand the performance and reliability of the design. Indeed, the RED A03 bridges the traditional gap between piston engines and substantially more expensive turboprops. RED Aircraft GmbH is in DOA and TC certification process with EASA. Comments: 210-220 g/kWh means it is a very good diesel engine, comparable to the best. It is not a breakthrough. The weight seems indeed attractive, however one should assess the weight per HP only once the engine is retrofitted on the plane, and the plane demonstrates total reliability of engine in all conditions, any lapse in reliability meaning a modification which invariably brings the weight up. If properly designed, there can be nothing wrong with it, except the usual concerns about the geared propeller. But it comes filling a gap at a time when pro-diesel arguments (fuel economy, constant specific consumption, lower price per HP as turboprop) will certainly move to 600HP to frontier between piston engine and turboprop. posted at 12:28 PM |
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July 2002
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