[Vwdiesel] jet-a powered aircraft

[Val Christian]

The Franklin diesel looks like it might work, and the price is not
terribly bad.  100LL is getting pretty pricy, and with a buck or 
often more per gallon differential from JET-A, there's hope.

The prediction/wish I lost out on was for plastic airplanes and 
cruise missile engines.  I thought something like a 8 passenger 
Velocity with four cruise missile engines centerline mounted would
be the wave of the future...but that was back in 1975, and cruise 
missile engines were just hitting the market.  And they tended to 
have low TBOs, since they were, um, a terminal engine application.
And in 1975, the Velocity wasn't around.  I think the Varieze was 
just emerging.  I seem to recall the Longeze getting press around 1979.

Those putter planes are great.  Fast, and not as easy to fly as most
people thought.  But they sure are allot of fun.  

For now, a Caravan with a PT-6-114a is about the best I get.  Flies like
a 182, and burns JET-A.  Looks like a Cessna 150 on steriods.  Not 
particularily cheap to fly, but it'll land and takeoff inside a ballfield
if you don't load it full.  The Varieze will likely beat it in any kind
of a race.

Oh, there are some rotary diesels out there, which have better power to 
weights than the conventional horiz. opposed diesels, like the Franklin.
I think they ended up showing the propensity for "ring" (if you can call 
it that) failure.  They also needed a gearbox.

If european AVgas prices continue to climb, it drive a Franklin (or other
vendor) diesel to a nice market.

Val



> 
> jet-A fueled piston engine makes atlantic crossing.
> I've been following this for some time now, and these guys make a nice
> powerplant.  Diesel of course.
> -J
> 
> 
> James Hansen    was that crossing by boat ? .
> 
> IMHO  it will not fly ---- the bean counters will shoot it down.     A =
> Lycoming 0-320
> is one hard number to follow.
> 
> Too heavy  ,  too expensive  and not proven.      Great toy for a =
> moneybags
> experimenter in the USA.   ---- Remember I tangled with AC diesels in =
> 1945.
> Not one in a transport or a fighter  ----only in reco flying boats. (PBY =
> style)
> 
> The fuel saving is not enough  IMHO.
> 
> Lycoming  --  NO radiator and liquid  .  Lycoming no expensive gearbox .
> 
> Lycoming can be fixed one cylinder at the time  ---- Thielert ? the =
> whole mess
> got to be shipped to Germany.
> 
> Sorry James   I am as hopeful that it will work , as anybody.    But if =
> the Emperor
> is NAKED   ---he has no gotchies on.
> 
> The weavers knows little of engines or it could be the translators.
> 
> Makes for good reading and I had a lot of fun with it here in =
> sick-bay.-----shit I am
> grounded.
> 
> Thanks for posting.
> 
> 
> Hagar.
> 
> PS: I like those big RADIALS.    P&W.    I was airborne in the Spruce =
> Goose.
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