 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
When will a diesel be available for my aircraft? |
|
News, facts, and comments on the coming revolution for piston-engine aircraft.News of April 07, 2005Lycoming shows a one-eye Jacks: Possible pair? But much more than meets the eye.In a Plane & Pilot report (April '05), Lycoming's General Manager Ian Walsh reveals that they are reviving the 8-cyl. O-720 and will be introducing a diesel engine without giving any details. Lycoming already planned such an introduction a few years ago, when the firm supported the development by Detroit Diesel's then Italian subsidiary VM Motori of a most interesting opposite cylinders, 4-cyl., liquid cooled 200HP engine. The VM was supposed to originate a family of 4, 6 and 8 cylinders covering the power range upto 450HP. 4-cyl. prototypes were built and tested. VM, Italy's main producer of automobile diesel engines, was then divested to Daimler Benz who was already supporting the Thielert series, and abandoned the project. So apparently did Lycoming. Since Continental had apparently dropped its own diesel engine after spending NASA's money,the impression prevailed that the diesel's future in the US was slim at the best. Lycoming announcing a diesel engine, after Continental announced that it is finally developing with Honda Motors a 350 HP engine, is therefore major news. The two US dinosaurs of light aero engines do imply, by funding such projects, that: a). Yes, despite 9/11, NSA's regulations, small airports shutting down, costs escalations notably insurance, regular attacks from greens and liberals against General Aviation, the amazing US exception of a huge population of smaller piston-engined aircraft will survive. For Teledyne and Textron, the market niche of piston aero engines is worth defending. The US will not go the way of Europe and Japan and regulate to death this wonderful, libertarian adventure called Freedom to Fly. The market it will represent 30 years from now is worth spending tens of millions of dollars now. b). No, small propeller aircrafts will not shift to micro turboprops. The NAVAID revolution, feeding the century old, wild hope that modest families and businessmen might, one day, start their engines, activate their GPS, take off from their local airfield, turn on their Auto-Pilots and tune in real-time weather report on their huge screens, change a flight plan to go around the weather, admire the sunset, and wait for a GSP approach three hours later to another small airfield near Grandpa or near their customer, is not compatible with turbines. One needs the alternative of slowing down to economy cruise to delay a landing or go to an alternate without adrenalin discharges. One needs a cruise capability at 3-4 gallons per hour. No turboprop gives you that. A diesel does. To impose security in and around these flights and on the road, police forces will need big fleets of STOL's and helicopters hovering around at slow speed and hosting all the electronic wizardry you can imagine. These machines, to be low cost, will use diesels. Not gasoline engines. Avgas, what will be left of it, will be $12/gallon, sold in cans to EAA pilots fine-tuning their 30HP single seat motorglider. After all, there still is a market for horse saddles and for lighter fluid... c). To make money, 10-20 years from now, in aerodiesels, one must occupy the ground in the 300-450HP class. Smaller aircrafts that will do the intensive flying will be singles in that power range, plus some twins. 70 years ago, seasoned private pilots were singing the praize of the 450HP Wasp Junior radial and pointing at their Spartan Executive or Beech Staggerwing as the Way of the Future. Today, in Alaska, Canada, Brazil, black Africa, bush pilots still hang on to their precious radial engine'd Beavers. Now Lycoming realizes it has neglected its ancient position with the O-720, as can testify a few owners of antique but nurtured Piper Comanches 400HP still living with the quirks and fantasies of that engine. An Avgas, injection, full FADEC O-720 can be an immediate option while waiting for the diesel of the future. Will that future diesel of the year 2040 be a two-stroke of four-stroke? Will it be an O-engine, a radial, a Junkers Jumo-like opposite-piston design, or a geared V8? I have been in the business of Long-Term Technology Forecast since the mid sixties. Gazing in my cristal ball to forecast the answer will protect me from the decay of old age. Our national dinosaurs will also eventually remember that, with or without General Aviation, we will need flight academies. In 2040, they will have eventually to train pilots with 100-160HP diesel aircrafts. Some descendants of Max Conrad (who flew non-stop in the fifties from Johannesburgh, South Africa, to Los Angeles CA in a Comanche) will fly from Long Island to their vacation resort in Morocco, in three legs through Gander and Azores, with a 160HP two-seater. They will take time to play golf in Terceira, Azores on the way. I'll be 103. posted at 3:18 AM |
Previous Posts
Robin Aircraft is selling the DR400 with Thielert ...
|
