Engines

In the realm of industries done in by capricious market forces, Lycoming and Continental arent just survivors, theyre evolutionary standouts. The entire GA industry imploded between 1980 and 1985 when sales rode over a cliff and both Lycoming and Continental had to rapidly reinvent themselves to survive in a world where 85 percent of their new engine business simply evaporated into thin air. Not many companies have weathered such a drubbing. (A captive replacement market helped.)

Its not much of a reach to posit that the entire survival of piston general aviation pivots around the exhaust valve, a $100 part that lives a miserable existence being slammed against a hardened steel seat 10 times a second swirled in a gale of white hot combustion gas. When an engine tanks prematurely or needs a midstream top overhaul, its often something to do with exhaust valves-bad guides, leaky seats, cracks around plug bosses originating near the exhaust valve.The engine makers and airframers have tried to meet these problems head on with mixed success.

It may seem utter apostasy or even a fairy tale, but there once was a time when engine cylinders and crankshafts werent considered snake-bit parts. You could reasonably expect them to make to advertised TBO and beyond.

After you look at it for awhile and not a very long while at that the thing thats most noticeable about the HondaJet isn’t that the engines are mounted on those weird stalks on top of the wing, but rather that you don’t really notice that the engines are mounted on weird stalks on top of the wing.

Thirty years ago, when every other airport of any size had a field overhaul shop, runout cylinder cores were money in the bank. Every shop had a shed full of prized cores and most maintained a lively and profitable business in refurbishing jugs for use in engine overhauls.

When specing an overhaul, you’ll need to do something with the cam. But heres why a new one isn’t always the best choice.

But SMA is mulling a price reduction. We found the engine to be a strong, smooth performer. What the project most needs is an OEM benefactor.

There are lots of reasons why bringing a new engine to market is a long shot. Here are just six.

But SMA is mulling a price reduction. We found the engine to be a strong, smooth performer. What the project most needs is an OEM benefactor.

With automotive diesel technology and economy of scale, Thielert is reaching for a serious share of the GA engine market. Just don’t call them car engines.

Diesels and the Lunatic Fringe
After preparing the report on Diamonds diesel twin for this issue, I freely confess that I am exactly the wrong guy to judge a diesel airplanes market potential in the U.S. In my view, if the thing runs, has an acceptable climb rate and an okay cruise speed, Im pre-disposed to pick a diesel over a gasoline engine. But then Im 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. Im not green, Im just c…

Jet-A engines are hot in Europe so why arent they here yet? You wont like the answer: Gas is still too cheap and service is non-existent.