small disel a/c engine?

Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
Tauno Voipio wrote in
:


Airbus wrote:

In article ,
says...


Robert M. Gary wrote:


On Mar 23, 2:25 pm, Cubdriver usenet AT danford DOT net wrote:



Is it possible (is it likely) that we will see a diesel aircraft
engine small enough for a Piper Cub?

Blue skies! -- Dan Ford


Almost. The local A&P community college here runs an STC'd diesel
172. The engine is made in Germany. They run it on French Fries.

-Robert

The engine is made by Thielert in Germany. It is a modified
Mercedes common-rail diesel engine.

For more information, go to http://www.centurion-engines.com/.

By the way, it runs on the big-airplane food: JET-A1.

--




I am personally aware of two such planes (Thielert-powered C-172's)
which have been removed from service due to unexpected, and as yet
unexplained engine stoppages. . . Anyone else heard of this?


Thielert has had its portion of new-design woes:

- problems in fuel and cooling plumbing,
- gearbox / clutch problems,
- broken high-pressure pumps.

AFAIK, no real problems with the most feared component,
FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control).

One twin with Thielerts came down immediately after take-off
in Germany, when its electrical system collapsed. The engines
had been started with external power and the battery was not
in system at all. The procedure was prohibited in the operation
manual. The electrical systems have been changed so that it
is not anymore possible to repeat the preformance. This was
actually more an airframe problem than an engine problem.




Bull****. Engine installation problem.



Bertie


Please explain - what is the difference with an airframe
problem and an engine installation problem here?

As far as I understand, the electrical system design is
an airframe part.

--

Tauno Voipio, avionics engineer
tauno voipio (at) iki fi

In article ,
says...


AFAIK, no real problems with the most feared component,
FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control).


Agree, the FADEC's work flawlessly.
Great fuel economy too - though the 172's have so-so performance (new C-S
3-blade prop too try to get some of that performance back) and they really
stink of kerosene!

"Tauno Voipio" wrote

At least one of the high-pressure pump failures happened
here for the Cessna of our club. It seems that the pump
had been dry some 5 hours before the failure. The Thielert
manual especially warns running the pump dry, and if so
happens, there should be an inspection of the pump
before the next flight.

I'm not sure what you mean, as in "running the pump dry."

Does it require lubricating oil from the engine, which it was not getting,
or "dry" as in the fuel supply was interrupted?
--
Jim in NC

"Airbus" wrote

Agree, the FADEC's work flawlessly.
Great fuel economy too - though the 172's have so-so performance (new C-S
3-blade prop too try to get some of that performance back) and they really
stink of kerosene!

Need more power, huh? Bigger engine, or more boost.

Sounds like the exhaust needs to be run to a location to get the gasses
clear of the plane while in flight, or that the fuel system is leaking, or
the vents are inadequate.

Diesel cars do not stink of kerosene. What is causing that problem in the
airplane?
--
Jim in NC

Tauno Voipio wrote in news:L7sGj.157$3J.112
@read4.inet.fi:


Please explain - what is the difference with an airframe
problem and an engine installation problem here?

As far as I understand, the electrical system design is
an airframe part.


No, it's an electrical system part. Airframe parts are wings and what
not....


Bertie

Morgans wrote:
"Tauno Voipio" wrote


At least one of the high-pressure pump failures happened
here for the Cessna of our club. It seems that the pump
had been dry some 5 hours before the failure. The Thielert
manual especially warns running the pump dry, and if so
happens, there should be an inspection of the pump
before the next flight.


I'm not sure what you mean, as in "running the pump dry."

Does it require lubricating oil from the engine, which it was not getting,
or "dry" as in the fuel supply was interrupted?


The high pressure pump is lubricated by the fuel (kerosene).

If you run out of fuel (or close the valve), you'll need
to have the pump inspected.

The website of Thielert/Centurion is not too good, it does
not give access to the manuals, but e.g. the Diamond pages
have the flight manuals of DA40 (diesel) and DA42. There
are instructions how to behave with the diesels.

--

Tauno Voipio
tauno voipio (at) iki fi

The Wilksch engine slowly evolves.
It's 2 litres, 2-stroke turbo diesel using Jet A1 fuel. Produces
nearly as much power as the Thielert and is lighter.

It was originally complicated by "clever" bits which proved handicaps.
It's been simplified and is doing its Certification Endurance Tests at
Gloucester, Uk.