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#1
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Aerotow with Diesel engine?
Some aero-engine and car manufacturers are working on Diesel engines for
use in small aircraft. There are now quite a lot of aircraft types flying with these engines. Is there anyone who can say something useful on recent Diesel engines in glider-towing operation? Practical information (climb ratio, technical and financial aspects, reliability etc.) would be very welcome. Or a club where such a towplane is in use or tested. Thanks for the info, Olfert Hornet A7, Netherlands. |
#2
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"Olfert Cleveringa" wrote in message
bel.com... Some aero-engine and car manufacturers are working on Diesel engines for use in small aircraft. There are now quite a lot of aircraft types flying with these engines. Is there anyone who can say something useful on recent Diesel engines in glider-towing operation? Practical information (climb ratio, technical and financial aspects, reliability etc.) would be very welcome. Or a club where such a towplane is in use or tested. Thanks for the info, Olfert Hornet A7, Netherlands. I've spoken with the good folks at DeltaHawk, a US based manufacturer of liquid cooled V4 2-stroke diesels in the 200 HP range. See: http://www.deltahawkengines.com/ They feel their engine would make a near perfect tug engine. Look carefully at the Specific Fuel Consumption (SFC) and the altitude performance. DeltaHawk is busy working with airframe manufacturers to create 'firewall forward" installation packages. A rumor is that they have a very large order from the US government for drone engines that will let them work out the mass production bugs and provide the company with financial stability. Diesels make power at lower RPM's than a spark ignition engine so they can use larger, quieter, more efficient propellers. A 200 HP diesel would be the equivalent of a 260 HP Lycoming O-540 because of the greater propeller efficiency. An added benefit would be the ability to legally use untaxed agricultural diesel fuel (red diesel in the US). Even in the US, fuel is a major expense for tug operators. Bill Daniels |
#3
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Bill Daniels wrote:
They feel their engine would make a near perfect tug engine. Surprize! :-) A rumor is ... So much for "practical information". Diesels make power at lower RPM's than a spark ignition engine so they can use larger, quieter, more efficient propellers. There isn't a requirement anywhere that propellers have to be direct driven. Actually, the only diesel flying today uses a gearbox. (Sorry for my unfair quoting, but I couldn't resist.) Stefan |
#4
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"Stefan" wrote in message ... Bill Daniels wrote: They feel their engine would make a near perfect tug engine. Surprize! :-) Selling an engine for an inappropriate use is a good way to get a bad reputation. Engine manufacturers who plan to stay in business are very careful about this. I have good feelings about Doug Doer and his group of engineers. Diesels make power at lower RPM's than a spark ignition engine so they can use larger, quieter, more efficient propellers. There isn't a requirement anywhere that propellers have to be direct driven. Actually, the only diesel flying today uses a gearbox. The DeltaHawk is flying with good results. Geared propellers are a good idea but they seem to work best with a large number of cylinders and in large aircraft where the weight penalty isn't so great. Bill Daniels |
#5
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Bill Daniels wrote:
I have good feelings about Doug Doer and his group of engineers. Don't get me wrong: I'm hoping the best for them (und us). But the original question was about experiences... Stefan |
#6
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Stefan wrote:
Bill Daniels wrote: They feel their engine would make a near perfect tug engine. Surprize! :-) A rumor is ... So much for "practical information". Diesels make power at lower RPM's than a spark ignition engine so they can use larger, quieter, more efficient propellers. There isn't a requirement anywhere that propellers have to be direct driven. Actually, the only diesel flying today uses a gearbox. (Sorry for my unfair quoting, but I couldn't resist.) Stefan Not entirely accurate. There is a three cylinder, direct drive two stroke diesel flying in the UK - WAM120. Look at http://www.wilksch.com/ Mark Wilksch is certainly not following conventional wisdom here. |
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"Bruce Greeff" wrote in message ... There is a three cylinder, direct drive two stroke diesel flying in the UK - WAM120. Look at http://www.wilksch.com/ Mark Wilksch is certainly not following conventional wisdom here. The UK also has Diesel Air's Dair-100 - a two cylinder, four opposed piston two stroke diesel that is a near drop in replacement for a Continental O-200. See: http://www.dair.co.uk/ They report that they have been running at 135 HP on the dyno which, in an optimized airframe like a touring motorglider, would make a very nice tug engine. Bill Daniels |
#8
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The only fuel that I am confident I will be able to find for
aircraft in the coming decades is Jet fuel. If I purchased a certified aircraft for long term use, it would be powered by this, or be an experimental (where I could use whatever I want) In California, the abolishment of MTBE made all the autogas STCs of aircraft invalid (the new ethanol gas isn't covered by the STC). I don't have confidence that 100LL will be available in the near future. 80 has already almost disappeared from general aviation. Diesel? I'd be surprised to see that in 200 California airports within the next 10 years. In article , Stefan wrote: Bill Daniels wrote: They feel their engine would make a near perfect tug engine. Surprize! :-) A rumor is ... So much for "practical information". Diesels make power at lower RPM's than a spark ignition engine so they can use larger, quieter, more efficient propellers. There isn't a requirement anywhere that propellers have to be direct driven. Actually, the only diesel flying today uses a gearbox. (Sorry for my unfair quoting, but I couldn't resist.) Stefan -- ------------+ Mark J. Boyd |
#9
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Mark James Boyd wrote:
The only fuel that I am confident I will be able to find for aircraft in the coming decades is Jet fuel.ral aviation. [...] Diesel? I'd be surprised to see that in 200 California airports within the next 10 years. Diesel engines in aircraft run on Jet A1. Christian 8-) |
#10
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