Rotor & Wing Magazine :: European Researchers Test Diesel Alternative to Turboshaft
The V8 engine that is being tested is the HIPE AE 440 – the result of a collaboration between France’s Teos Powertrain Engineering and Austria’s Austro Engine. The former company, which specializes in car racing, designed the core engine. The latter manufacturer rather focused on components like the full authority digital engine control (FADEC) and, above all, airworthiness.
The engine has a total weight (including oil, accessories, etc.) of 528 lbs. For an equivalent level of performance, a turboshaft would weigh between 265 and 285 lbs. An equivalent level of performance does not mean equal power rating. A diesel retains its performance from sea level to 8,000 feet at ISA+20 temperature, which a turboshaft can’t do, according to Clean Sky officials. However, the demonstrator is not fully optimized, its designers concede. The starter is not a starter-generator and it has two batteries instead of one.