instructed in PA 28 for years...very reliable..built like brick sh1tehouse...( not my personal favourite ...as i'm a cessna driver...but good aeroplane ).
and 10540....i felt we were at the cutting edge in putting a diesel engine into an old 172 at the time...but it runs like a sowing machine...less noisey and i would'nt have a word said against it.diesel have more developing to do...petrol engines have gone just about as far as they can...you can't beat 50% power in a 172 giving 80 knots ( if you're not in a hurry )...3.5 gallons per hour. do that in a petrol engine...plus the cost benefit of jet A1 as opposed to petrol...!!!
my only criticism is the fadec system alarm will activate if there is any ( even in a steep turn with fuel load low )...and then the aircraft is grounded until cleared by the engineer who has to download the info and have it analysed to ensure there is no other reason...when we know full well it was only temporary fuel starvation which set off the alarm...but then thats if you like a fadec criticism not a diesel one...
sorry...thread drift...but the pa 28 is a solid aeroplane...depending on your needs.
and i had an alternator failure in a 172 within 5 hours of getting a new engine fitted...so thats something you can get anytime irrespective of make..