Ronnie wrote:
It would be interested to see what their cost would
be for an engine that was certified to replace the 250HP
Lycoming IO-540C4B5 engines on my Aztec. I'd
guess that even at engine overhaul time, econmics
would be vastly in favor of overhauling the old engines
as compared to replacing them with diesels.

Ronnie

"Thomas Borchert" wrote in message
...
Thielert has announced a diesel engine in the 230-HP-range, covering
the gap between the existing 135- and 350-HP models. Great news, IMHO,
since this is the kind of power many of the planes we fly need. First
target for certification seems to be the 182. Time frame is 2007. Nice!


--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

My thought is it is going to depend on a lot of factors.

Will the cost of swapping a gas engine for a diesel come down as
they become (if it happens) more common?

How will the life-cycle costs compare? Supposedly the diesels require
less maintenance over their life. Whether that is really true or
not remains to be seen. Right now about the only thing for sure is you
don't have to replace spark plugs.

What is going to happen to fuel costs? Right now Jet A is $.87/gal
cheaper at my local FBO. Will this spread increase or decrease?

Will a FADEC diesel further reduce the fuel costs by keeping everything
optimal?

No matter what happens with the above, putting a different engine
in will cost more than putting in a new engine of the same type.
How long do you expect to keep the airplane and how many engines
do you expect to replace/overhaul during that time?

etc.

--
Jim Pennino

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