Cessna To Offer Diesel-Powered Aircraft Next Year
After an extensive market survey and flight-testing, Cessna Aircraft Company announced last month that it will offer the Thielert turbo diesel engine in its Skyhawk 172S aircraft with deliveries set to begin in mid-2008. With increased range and endurance, the Skyhawk TD will offer an ideal solution for special mission applications like flight training, wildlife conservation efforts, traffic reporting and airborne law enforcement.

The Skyhawk TD (turbo diesel) will feature a Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) equipped Thielert Centurion 2.0 liter engine. The DOHC (double overhead camshaft) in-line four-cylinder turbocharged engine develops 155 horsepower, is certified to operate on Jet-A fuel, is liquid cooled and drives a composite three-blade constant speed propeller. The engine features low specific fuel consumption, electronic engine control systems and improved hot-and-high engine performance.

The new Skyhawk TD will be priced at $298,500 with the G1000 avionics system that includes the GFC700 autopilot. That's only $15,000 more than a similarly equipped 172s with a conventional avgas-burning engine. The TD will have a constant-speed, variable-pitch propeller. It will have a top speed of 130 knots, slightly faster than the 160-horsepower (123 knots) and 180-horsepower (126 knots) versions of the model 172.

Well there is only one refinery that makes Avgas, and there is pretty much only 100 LL. When I started there was five grades of Aviation Gasoline. Now one or two grades. You are going to see more and more of this in the coming years. I like the idea of a diesel for light airplanes, Jet -a is really the way to go. With these FADEC's its going to make for some interesting light aircraft engines in the coming years.