Aerotow with Diesel engine?

"Z Goudie" wrote in message
...
Bill Daniels wrote:

Reading the Diesel Air Ltd. site about the ducted fan
dirigible
application, they say that they get 8 pounds of static
thrust for each HP.
If 100 HP = 800 pounds of thrust, that stacks up pretty
well against a 235
Pawnee that only produces about 390 pounds of thrust.
That would be good
for avoiding wing dropping.

Jings, crivvens, I can just see the FAA, CAA or JAR
falling all over themselves to approve a ducted fan
for an existing airframe.

The new Sport Light Aircraft regulations (US) have specific language
permitting experimental glider tugs. Nobody said anything about fitting a
ducted fan to an existing airframe.

A diesel engine of a given horsepower with a propeller
on it will produce the same thrust as similar power
petrol (gas, steam) one.

Nope. A Bell 47 helicopter rotor turning 300 RPM will produce more than
2450 pounds of static thrust with just 266 HP. The fact that it flies
proves that.

Diesels produce their power at low RPM's. A slower turning propeller that
can absorb the same HP will produce more thrust. A ducted fan will produce
still more thrust per HP at low airspeeds.

It will, if turbo charged (another complication), produce
sea level power up to a considerable height but I don't
think that's a major problem for near sea level dwellers.

All 2-stroke diesels are supercharged - else they won't run.


As far as I can see what's driving the production of
diesel engines in Europe is the low/no tax on diesel
or jet fuel. How long will it take the fiscal authorities
to latch on to that one I wonder?

Europe has been using diesel fuel for a long time. Raising taxes on
agricultural diesel will be a political hot potato. General Aviation fuel
use is tiny compared to road use.

Bill Daniels