Dan Luke wrote:

"I have some friends that fly 210's for Flight Express. Lycoming is
providing a new engine at a very modest price to Flight Express and in
return they are debugging and refining the engine for Lycoming. The
engine is an IO-550P3 and produces 325 HP. The engine has the induction
system on top and the exhaust on bottom like the 550 Continental. The
pilots say this is a great engine and runs very cool with no cylinder
cracking problems. Could this be the engine for Cessna's Cirrus Killer?"

Tommy Lee at CFO



Well, a quick search of the FAA database shows no Type Certificate for a
Lycoming IO-550, nor any STC's belonging to Lycoming, or Flight express,
or anyone else, for doing such an installation (both of which would be
required for use in a commercial operation). I *did* see, however, STC
SA00274AT, modified Sept. 29th of this year, for installing a
*Continental* liquid cooled 550 in C-210's, model's "K" through "N".
Perhaps this is what's going on at Flight Express? And if it is, I
doubt it's the engine for the "Cirrus Killer", as Textron owns both
Lycoming and Cessna.

Happy Flying!
Scott Skylane