First Word: 08/05

Diesels and the Lunatic Fringe
After preparing the report on Diamond’s diesel twin for this issue, I freely confess that I am exactly the wrong guy to judge a diesel airplane’s market potential in the U.S. In my view, if the thing runs, has an acceptable climb rate and an okay cruise speed, I’m pre-disposed to pick a diesel over a gasoline engine. But then I’m a guy who will fly a Mooney lean of peak to save a couple of gallons of gas in exchange for seven or eight fewer knots of cruise speed. I think SUVs are a gross waste of gas for trips to the country club and I obsessively turn off unused lights. None of this has a thing to do with environmentalism. I’m not green, I’m just c...