Anyone interested in non-avgas light aircaft power units might like to have a look at Deltahawk. There is a web site but when I put the URL in here it gets changed to something about "All Posters"!!! Guess, or google for yourself
Clean sheet of paper aviation diesel. First flight 2003, certification this year they say. To me it looks very nice.
Initially V4 180hp, 160, 200 to follow and larger V8 eventually.
Can be ordered for upright, inverted or vertical (helicopter) operation and with either direction of rotation.
- Two stroke piston port diesel - no inlet/ex valves
- Mechanical fuel pumps - no electrics/electronics at all
- Runs on Jet fuel, various conventional or bio diesels.
- Low fuel consumption
- Small, light, low frontal area (no valves sticking up from cylinder head).
- Runs at convenient speed for propellors so no reduction gears/belts.
- Water cooled - OK at half power in event of total loss of coolant
- Supercharged - full rated power to 15,000ft I seem to recall.
- Uses external air pump so no air/fuel in crankcase so conventional oil system.
- Has backup air pump so engine will run at reduced power in the event of one air pump failing.
Very well thought out I thought.
The basic configuration is very similar to that used for very large marine diesels (i.e. two stroke with air pump) so it is for sure a proven technology. These are used in supertankers and they only fit one.
Wärtsilä-Sulzer RTA96-C - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I have no connection with Deltahawk and am not a customer, I just like the ideas used by them.