Interesting discussion on Aero Diesels with lots of points covered and many miss conceptions.
As a recap there are about 8 Diesels in development with 3 on the market.
Thierlert
4 stroke, 4 cylinder modified car engines, liquid cooled, reduction gear box and harmonic damper.
135hp. Fast to market design. V8 300hp plus to come.
SMA, 4 stroke, 4 cylinder, new design, air cooled, high cooling drag,
low power to weight ratio. Due to high strength require to hold it together
because of the large power pulses and reverse torque from the prop.
Not really a sensible design from an engineer point of view. 235 hp
Wilksch, 2 stroke, new design, liquid cooled, novel ball joint little end in the piston,
through flow, air flow design, with poppet exhaust valves,
Inverted inline design. 3 cylinder is 120 hp. 4 cyl 160hp. 5 cyl 200hp.
Delta Hawk, V 4 2 stroke, piston ported intake and exhaust. Liquid cooled with 60% limp home mode on coolant lose.
160 and 200 hp models. Due on the market in 2005.
This engine is probably the most significant engine as it competes head on with an IO360
is a US design and cost less than the Lycoming.
It weight almost the same as an IO360, goes 25% further on similar fuel loads, full power to 14,000ft.
An SR20 with the 200hp version would be the plane for the 21st century. £10 an hour for fuel with no tax. 1000nm range
Diesel Air, 2 stroke, opposed piston, 100 hp. Flying in airships. Good power to weight ratio.
Compact design with twin crank shafts. Liquid cooled.
They have a big order for UAV aircraft engines.
Zoche, 2 stroke, piston ported, radial, air cooled engine, with no electrics needed for starting and operation,
The 8 cylinder 300hp unit runs like an electric motor, perfectly balanced with very smooth power delivery, low frontal area.
Probably the best design of the lot, only trouble it seems to be in perpetual development.
Basically the best Diesels are 2 strokes, there are lots of advantages, both in smoother power delivery, cooling,
higher power output for the capacity and lower harmonics. All the 2 strokes have a combined turbo/supercharger unit
and standard plain bearing bottom ends. Not to be confused with 2 stroke lawn mower engines.
They can go from idle to full power in 1 second as well.
Note the most powerful fuel efficient engines in the world, are Marine 2 stroke diesels, about 100,000 hp.