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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 February 25, 2007Special report: Yesterday they were skeptical. Now they get impatient.From my observation point at DieselAir Newsletter, I have seen US pilots attitude drastically change after three events closely following each other: the availability of the Diamond DA 42 Thielert twin in the US; The decision by Cessna dealer Van Bortel to propose the Thielert 135HP as an option on new 172s; and the STC finally secured by SMA for the conversion of Cessna 182 models M to S. Yesterday, US pilots, professionals and aircraft owners were skeptical: "Not for the US" was the general attitude. "Diesel is for these poor Europeans who pay an arm and a leg for fuel." This has completely changed. The attitude today is more like: "My Cessna 210 is coming to TBO. I want a diesel. Why can't I retrofit it right now? What are they waiting for?" Let me explain one thing I learned after 55 years following world aviation technology (I am 69 and was building model aircraft when I was 14, do not forget.) An airplane is faster than any other transportation vehicle when it flies (which is not very often). Apart from that, everything, and I mean everything in the aviation industry moves slower than in any other industry. This is a regulated industry, and it is not getting better. Make an experience: Procure a 1960 Operating Manual for a Cessna 172 model of that year; the same, for a 172 of the seventies; same again for one of 1995; and same again for a 2007 model. And look at the manual volume, in sheer number of pages, each time: It has exploded. And to make it worse the GPS manual that goes with it is another manual of the same size! The old joke was that what makes an airplane fly is money. The new joke is there is good news now: It consumes money, but it produces something: paper work! More and more of it! That diesel is coming makes no doubt anymore. How fast it will come? Slowly, very slowly but surely until 2010 in my opinion. Then it will accelerate somewhat as more mechanics and shops are certified and licensed to sell conversions through STC's which will be more numerous and accessible. This means that there is a big opportunity today for business: Invest in STCs for diesel conversions of known aircraft models and types. You can assess at one million dollars the cost of an STC for a simple single engine airplane, at 2 to 3 million for a light twin or a complex single. But there are models around which, once STCd, will sell for decades, because the same plane, once refitted with diesel and what goes with it plus a state of the art avionics, becomes a totally different plane. A Cessna 152 diesel will be a true mini-IFR cross country plane. A Piper Aztek, a minimal trans-oceanic aircraft. And so on. Meanwhile, when will new STCs become available? We expect the Piper Dakota SMA at any time now. The Cessna 206 Thielert V8, within 18 months to 2 years. The Cessna 400 series and Beech Duke with Thielert V8, within 2-3 years. We cannot say for sure for retractable singles because the front wheel well remains a problem to lodge the added heat exchangers, but it was done for the SOCATA Trinidad so it will eventually be done for all popular singles, through a costly STC each time. Volunteers to co-invest in an STC? Contact us. posted at 7:50 PM |
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