Originally Posted by
Say again s l o w l y
Bosch etc. will supply to any market they can make money out of. Having worked as an automotive engineer if there is spare capacity and a market, they'll have a look.
If you can find a willing OEM supplier of fuel injection components to the aero engine industry, you can be my supplier. My professional career is actually developing electronic engine control systems (for cars, motorcycles and boats so far) and so I have discussed in some detail, a FADEC product with some people 'in-the-know'. The first leading question they ask me is where am I going to source sensors, injectors, regulators and pumps.
The first problem is that the volumes are never going to be enormous. 2000-5000 units p.a. is the most you'll see even with very good market penetration. One vehicle project I worked on for a major OEM was a total volume of 5000 units and even then the suppliers had to be beaten up regularly by the multi-national OEM on our behalf to get some action on the project.
The next problem to consider is one of product liability and where in some US states this is a case of strict liability. If you don't understand anything about this, you really need to do some research. It is a very scary area and arguably the reason that aviation has been 'stuck in the dark ages'. Even if OEM suppliers are happy to let aviation lunch off existing component designs and specifications, the volumes are so low and the profit is so miniscule it does not cover the risk of them being taken to the cleaners over someone's CFIT or fuel management-related accident, for example. Anyone with a sniff of a few dollars in their bank and in any way related to the product will get named in a lawsuit by the grieving widow.
I would agree with you that technically, a FADEC might be made a more useable and reliable fuel system, especially for larger engines. Commercially, this just isn't the case.
At the low power end of the market, the fuel consumption savings that FADEC can offer are simply not that significant. A carb and mags can do as much as a FADEC can for most of the operating regimes, with perhaps starting being the major exception.
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