http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_09_09_2013_p12-609055.xml
“The quest for a small UAS engine that burns diesel or JP-5 fuel
rather than aviation or automotive gasoline has been underway since the
1980s. The latest bump in this long road was the acquisition in July of
Thielert, manufacturer of the diesel engine for the U.S. Army's MQ-1C
Gray Eagle UAS, by China's Avic.
This has forced the Army and General Atomics to adopt Lycoming's DEL-120
diesel—an engine that Lycoming did not show at Auvsi, instead bringing
its smaller, 63-hp EL-060 (a spark-ignition multifuel two-stroke). One
question is when the new DEL-120 will be able to attain the time between
overhauls needed for UAS use. The Thielert engine became notorious in
the personal-aircraft market for frequent and expensive inspections and
overhauls.”
Marc Wieie
The Thielert is an econ box car engine from Europe.
What do you expect ? :) Miracles? :)
Paul Lamar
Paul,
Years ago driving 18 wheel diesel trucks, we put additives into diesel
fuel to keep the engine performing in extreme cold. Question, in nations
where diesel is available and very little aviation gasoline, could an
additive be used in diesel so it could run in a Wankel Engine set up for
gasoline. Paul have you heard of anyone that experimented with fuel
treatments to burn diesel or is its flash point to low ?
George Curtis
Why do that? You can get car gas all over the world.
Paul Lamar
Paul, Just reading in various places that gasoline is unavailable
at airports in some foreign nations. Was reading the above post, and
thought back to my days driving big rigs, and wondered if diesel could
be burned in a wankel set up for gasoline. Also remember reading how
some group studied using all kinds of fuel in Wankel Engines, but never
saw the out come of that research anywhere.
George Curtis
Hire a taxii and go into town and get some gasoline:)
I fail to understand the fascination with smelly and carcinogenic diesel
fuel.
Back in the early 30's Packard diesel aircraft engines made the pilots sick.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packard_DR-980
"The Packard DR-980 is an American nine-cylinder air cooled aircraft
Diesel engine first certificated in 1930. The engine was unpopular
despite its economy and reliability due to the unpleasant nature of its
diesel exhaust fumes and considerable vibration when running;
approximately 100 were built."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_diesel_engine
"Entering service in the early 1930s, the two-stroke Junkers Jumo 205
opposed-piston engine was much more widely used than previous aero
diesels. This engine proved unsuitable in military applications and
subsequent German aircraft engine development concentrated on gasoline
and jet engines."
A couple of weeks ago I was in NZ watching them replace the gear box on
a Thielert.
Diesels are hard on gears and props due to the sharp explosions.
Paul Lamar
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