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Home | Update | Latest Issue | Gallery | FR Profile | Datafiles | FR 3/97 NEW POWER PLANT CONCEPTS FOR GENERAL AVIATION by Heinrich Hemker Several manufacturers have taken the challenge and are developing new engines for single and twin-engine General Aviation aircraft. Along with European manufacturers, US companies are working on promising projects. Still, while the US partners are getting financial and technical support from a NASA program, most of the European manufacturers are working on their own risk. Rotax The Austrian company Bombardier Rotax GmbH is the uncrowned king of the engine manufacturers. The Rotax 912 has become the byword for a light aircraft engine: More than 4500 units of the 912 and 914 have been delivered since 1990. The 914F, a turbocharged version with 115 hp take-off power, was certified in September of last year. Rotax expects a sales volume of 1200 four-cylinder engines for 1997. Limbach The Königswinter based company's newest engine is the L2300EF, a liquid cooled version with a take-off rating of 100 hp. Limbach applied for type certification at the end of last year. The first flight of the new engine will supposedly be conducted with a Taifun powered glider in February. The production of the new motor has already started. Zoche Following a development time of more than 12 years Zoche's Aero-Diesel is now in the middle of the certification process. Two variants are under development: ZO 01A, a four-cylinder radial (140 hp), and the ZO 02A, an eight-cylinder rated at 300 hp. Michael Zoche's engine concept offers several advantages. The engines are extremely light (123 kg for the 300 hp engine) and use less fuel. Also, the vibration level is very low. The engine control via just one lever is simple and the design gives a high reliability: Carburetor icing, problems with the ignition system or vapor lock are unknown to a diesel engine. Zoche expects that the engine to be certified in 1997. MDB The Bleienbach, Switzerland, based MDB Flugtechnik AG designed an entirely new engine. The development of the MDB FM 2600 began in the beginning of the nineties, first flight was accomplished in January of 1995. The FM 2600 is a four-cylinder opposed engine with a cubic volume of 2,6 liters, the non-turbocharged version generating 160 hp. A gear reduction is reducing the propeller speed to 1700 rpm, resulting in an extremely low noise emission level. Mid-West The Wankel engine is in the position of a technological outsider in spite of its advantages, such as a low vibration level, small dimensions and low weight. Still, the British company Mid-West Engines Ltd. only managed to receive a type certification (JAR-E) for its AE100R rotary engine (85 hp) last year. The engine only weighs 55 kg and, according to the manufacturer, uses approximately 15 liters of fuel per hour. Toyota The Japanese car manufacturer Toyota in cooperation with Hamilton Standard developed the FV4000, a V8 engine rated at 360 hp that is based on the engine of the Lexus. The engine is controlled by a FADEC (full authority digital engine control) developed by Hamilton Standard. The engine is equipped with two turbochargers and intercoolers supplying the maximum continuos power up to 18000 feet. The FAA certified the engine in February of last year and production certification was granted on December 16. Both companies will conduct intense market studies before making a decision about the production. Orenda The Canadian manufacturer Orenda wants to create an entirely new performance category. The company is developing a series of piston engines in the power range from 500 to 750 hp. The OE-600 engine is a V8 with a capacity volume of eight liters, generating a take-off power of 600 hp and a max. continuos power of 500 hp. Orenda is aiming at the retrofit market since the costs for this piston engine are supposedly considerably lower than a turboprop propulsion. The US company Stevens Aviation is planning the modification of Beech King Air C90 and has already ordered 140 of the new engines. Other retrofit options include the Piper Cheyenne and Navajo, Cessna's 400 series and the Rockwell Twin Commander.Engine certification, originally planned for the end of last year was delayed due to material problems of the crank shaft. Orenda is now confident to receive certification in the second quarter of 1997. TCM A development that may generate a revolution in General Aviation was started in December of 1996. Teledyne Continental Motors was selected as part of the General Aviation Propulsion program (GAP) to develop a new piston engine. TCM received a three-year contract worth $9 million. TCM's concept is a liquid cooled two-cycle diesel engine with compressor. The Continental Supercharged Diesel 283 (200 hp) is designed to use jet fuel. A single-lever operation is to facilitate engine control, an integrated electronic which is diagnosis capable is supposed to improve operating characteristics and reliability. Remarkably, TCM plans to offer the entire propulsion system. Propeller and airframe manufacturer are included from the beginning into the development. Williams Walled Lake, Michigan, bases Williams International is the second company that received a contract in the GAP program. Williams will develop a turbofan engine which is designed for single-engine four-seaters and twin-engine six-seaters with cruise speeds above 200 kts. NASA is contributing $37 million to the ambitious technology program (total volume $100 million). The FJX-2 will supposedly generate 700 lbs of thrust, also fulfilling all future emission and noise requirements. The flight test phase is scheduled to begin in 2000. The USA has obviously understood that aviation is not a luxury but an economical factor with positive effects for the future. Their is no doubt about the seriousness of the initiatives. A similar initiative will be necessary over here. Otherwise, the Europeans will be left in the role of the paying customer in a few years. From page 56 of FLUG REVUE 3/97 Home | Update | Latest Issue | Gallery | FR Profile | Datafiles | FR 3/97 Copyright 1997 by Motor-Presse Stuttgart. All rights reserved. Last updated February 13, 1997