| Author | Message | ||
     Hans Georg Schmid (Hgschmid) |
Hi I might shortly buy an Express 2000 RG kit and as it will be built in Switzerland it will take a while until it is finished. It is a bit more difficult to complete a project here than it is in the US... Calculations of the wings and the structure have to be provided, the open wings have to be officially inspected and then a static load test has to be performed. Last but not least there is a demanding test flight program to be flown and this is crowned by the probably harshest noise test worldwide. He who doesn't pass doens't fly... That's where a future Diesel engine comes into play: Because of the low RPM (SMA Diesel 2200 RPM, the prospective Zoche 2400 RPM) the noise test shouldn't be a problem anymore. And there are European fuel prices, which tend to be much higher than US prices. SMA (a french subsidiary of Renault (?)) is promising certification of their 230 hp engine this year in Europe (JAR) and the US (FAR). They plan to market soon engines also of the 250 and 300 hp range. This engine should be a nice retrofit to the common Conti or Lycoming engines of the same hp range. Check out their homepage at sma@smasr.com . Zoche (Germany) is working at a Diesel radial engine for at least ten years. Basically it is a very interresting project which they say they want to have certified in Europe as well as in the US in 2002. Whether they make it might to be seen. They promised a little much already in the last years to be really beliefed about their schedule. If they make it, they will have a 300 hp engine which is very light, uses little and burns almost anything. Whether it might be fitted in an Express 2000 RG I don't know. Search in the internet for Zoche-Aerodiesel. Both engines are turbocharged which makes for excellent power at altitude. Pricing is (besides the schedule) still the great unknown. Any thoughts about those engines as prospective engines for the 2000 RG? Has anybody an idea whether the fuel system would have to be changed if it is to be adapted for Jet A instead of AVGAS? Thanks! HG | ||
| Kurt A. Schumacher (K_Schumacher) |
HG To ensure there are no unexpected chemical reactions I suggest to build a little tank out of all the original prefab material, resin and glass and fill it with Jet A1... SMA Engines Homepage: http://www.smaengines.com Zoche: http://www.zoche.de (still more a vision then a product IMHO anyway, but don't you think this radial engine is to big for the Express, ie. the camshaft would be to near to the ground ending with a to small prop for the high torque and the size of the Express fuselage?) -Kurt. | ||
| Phil & Margie Hodge (N410mp) |
My advice is to wait as long as possible before buying an engine. A lot of work, driven by pollution, noise, fuel type, vibration, reliabilty, engine ceiling, and the overall inventiveness and curiosity of Man, is being conducted around the world. The Zoche engine looks like it will be a great engine, if it ever exists. I thought that 12 years ago when I first saw it, and I still think so today. Pricing is projected to be competitive with the TIO550. SMA is, I believe, a spin-off of Renault and a few other companies, with a bunch of money backing them. Their engine is a lot newer, but looks interesting. Last I heard they had not figured out how to restart it airborne if you run a tank dry or it burps for some other reason. Another company to look at for curiosity purposes is Quiet Revolution Motor Company http://www.qrmc.com/ . I'm involved in that company, but I can't be accused of making a blatant and obnoxious sales pitch because we don't have anything to sell. Don't even have any projections at this point of when we will. My fervent hope is that in 10 years, when my currently new IO550 is ready for its' first overhaul, we will have something comparable to slip in its' place. Whether that is a realisitc hope I can not honestly say. Anybody know of any others on the horizon? Phil | ||
| Jeff Dingbaum (Aviators) |
Yes, there is a company out of Racine, Wisconsin called DeltaHawk. They have a nice engine that they have designed from scratch for aircraft. Their web site is http://www.deltahawkengines.com. I heard one of their engineers talk at our EAA meeting and it sounds very nice. Last I heard they were going to start producing engines for airboats to get some engines running on the ground first. The first incarnation will be a 4 stroke, but I'm not sure if it will be 150 or 200HP. Some of the selling points were better fuel economy, liquid cooling eliminated shock cooling, no carbuerator icing. For those seriously considering diesel, remember, the fuel nozzles of JetA will be larger and you will either have to install different fuel caps or use a funnel. Another important item is venting. JetA is less volatile than Avgas. Avgas quickly builds up a vapor level in the tank that is too rich to be explosive. JetA may not ever become too rich. | ||
| luigi |
Thielert who has already equiped the Diamond 40 with a TAE 125 are scheduling to produce very soon the TAE 310,(310 HP). These engines, based on Mercedes car engines, are FAR and JAR. More to see on www.thielert.com. | ||
| Werner Maag |
SMA French Socata Renault Diesel: At Sun-n-Fun the rep of SMA told me, that they will not until further notice sell an engine to particular customers like homebuilders, but only to aircraft manufacturers. Also is the engine with the turbo finally installed below the oil pan rather too high for the Express cowling. The most promising for me is definitely the Thielert Mercedes V8, which should be available by 2004, on shorter time the IO 550. Werner Maag |