Diesel Aircraft?

In “New Diesel Passes Vibration Tests”, Russ Niles discusses a new type of diesel fuel to be used in aircraft engines. A Wisonsin company, Engineered Propulsion Systems, has developed a new high-performance diesel aircraft engine. Just last week the engine passes tests performed by the manufacturer of the engine’s propeller, Hartzell. In the past, vibrations in the engine caused by the diesel fuel kept the engine from gaining certification from the Federal Aviation Administration, however these problems have since been worked out by Engineered Propulsion Systems and Hartzell and the engine has gained certification. The development of a diesel engine for light airplanes is a major breakthrough because these diesel engines run smoother and more efficient than the typical gasoline engine.

Cirrus aircraft has already expressed interest in the Vision 350 variant of the diesel engine. The Vision 350 puts out 350 horsepower and burn 12.3 gallons of fuel per hour at a 60 percent cruise configuration. This is a huge advantage over a similar Jet-A or 100 low-lead fuel burning engine. The Vision 350 is marketed specifically for aviation and will most likely be retrofitted into current high performance piston aircraft to replace their current avgas burning engines. The United States military is also showing interest in the Vision 350 for it’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle fleet. However, Engineered Propulsion Systems is not specifying a timeframe for the first deliveries of the engine.