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New 100 HP Superior Diesel!

Hmmmmmmmmmm what Vans airframe would that work on????

Wonder what the weight and cost are going to be compared to the Rotax??
 
Mike S said:
Hmmmmmmmmmm what Vans airframe would that work on????

Wonder what the weight and cost are going to be compared to the Rotax??
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Direct competitor to a 912, similar footprint, bit more money, much less burn. Paul will have more later.
 
DanH said:
Direct competitor to a 912, similar footprint, bit more money, much less burn. Paul will have more later.
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AND, won't be affected by the new avgas (Swift fuel or whatever is decided) that will replace 100LL.
 
This has been in the shadows for a decade. Glad to see some proper money being thrown at it. Might finally make the light of day this time if they can bring it in at this price and weight.
 
Hopeful but

I'll give it about ten years before I'll touch any new power plant. Just sayin - that I'll let those of you who are leaders do the testing. Sure would like to see a 100 hp diesel come into prime time tho.
 
The Real Rotax Competitor

Actually I think Rotax should be more afraid of this engine - it's made by a company in Berlin called appropriately enough LSA Engines. It's really a re-make of the German Weber engine and with a turbo puts out 130 HP. The kicker is its LESS expensive than a Rotax 912 ULS weighs pretty much the same and puts out a level of HP that these aircraft have sorely needed.



http://www.lsa-engines.de
 
The Gemini confuses me with its 4100 RPM. I thought diesels generate their power at low RPMs. Why spin it up so fast, only to then gear it down?

The weight is compelling. It is higher than a Rotax and lower than both the Jabiru or Corvair.

That said, the fuel efficiency will be less compelling for LSAs (sans training fleets). An engine which could run on "average octain" car gas would cut operating cost by aproximately the same of the fuel efficiency advantage of the Gemini diesel.
 
humptybump said:
The Gemini confuses me with its 4100 RPM. I thought diesels generate their power at low RPMs. Why spin it up so fast, only to then gear it down?

The weight is compelling. It is higher than a Rotax and lower than both the Jabiru or Corvair.

That said, the fuel efficiency will be less compelling for LSAs (sans training fleets). An engine which could run on "average octain" car gas would cut operating cost by aproximately the same of the fuel efficiency advantage of the Gemini diesel.
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It is a 2 cycle engine with the psru internal where it belongs.

Superior is moving forward with this engine, that is a very good sign.

At my age, it may be time to step down to LSA. :)
 
E. D. Eliot said:
I'll give it about ten years before I'll touch any new power plant. Just sayin - that I'll let those of you who are leaders do the testing. Sure would like to see a 100 hp diesel come into prime time tho.
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It does not appear to be like the Zoch, that carrot on a stick went on for years.

Superior is involved, that is a good sign.
 
There are a few engines are on their way to selected airframe manufacturers in 60-90 days, with contractual restrictions. Even if an airframe company wanted to tell you about the diesel in the basement, they can't...so there is absolutely no point in asking.

Seriously, don't bug Vans. If all goes according to plan, anyone can install a diesel on their RV-12 sometime next year, with or without help from Vans, just as they can install a Jabaru, a Honda, or a big rubber band.

Airframe development will include engine mount selection, as the vibration signature will be quite different (two-stroke, 3 cyl, 6 opposed pistons, twin cranks with a 14 degree offset), and a heat exchanger, as the diesel is water cooled.
 
rv6ejguy said:
This has been in the shadows for a decade. Glad to see some proper money being thrown at it. Might finally make the light of day this time if they can bring it in at this price and weight.
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The picture looks like an attempt at marketing feedback gathering effort. Surprising that they have gotten an opposed piston engine down to be weight competitive. Price will be another challenge with double pistons-rods-crank-bearings etc. A lot of work just to eliminate a head gasket. But, the proof is in the demonstration. Open minded and ready for data!

On the positive side, timing for the cranks can give variable compression ratios and expansion ratios to overcome some other issues with flying diesels. Secondary forces will be neutralized, so it should be smooth. I wanna see the guts of this one post tests! I love a good engine autopsy!

Why 4000 rpm?- RPM allows BMEP to be lower for the same HP output. BMEP is pressure, pressure needs structure, structure needs weight. Thus, higher speed.

I wonder if all the money got together in an aero-diesel consortium, if a suitable product could be fully developed. The emphasis is on fully. This seems to be more of a money challenge than technical one. This 100-200 hp market target is good. (isn't it??)

Thanks for the update from SnF guys, keep it coming! Looking for more in-depth information on this diesel.
 
I'm still waiting for the real world BSFC numbers of a light aero diesel 2 stroke which are significantly better than something like the 912iS.

I believe Superior has the financial means and technical skills to bring the design to the market anyway. One time will tell if it's reliable and lasts like existing SI light aero engines.
 
rv6ejguy said:
I'm still waiting for the real world BSFC numbers of a light aero diesel 2 stroke which are significantly better than something like the 912iS.

I believe Superior has the financial means and technical skills to bring the design to the market anyway. One time will tell if it's reliable and lasts like existing SI light aero engines.
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If the engine is anything like a Fairbanks Morris OP engine, this should be pretty reliable! Neat to see some new products coming out.
 
NTex said:
If the engine is anything like a Fairbanks Morris OP engine, this should be pretty reliable! Neat to see some new products coming out.
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Unfortunately layout has little to do with reliability and comparing heavy land based designs with lightweight aero designs is essentially meaningless. These designs will die or survive on their own real world merits or shortcomings.

Comparing weight of a turbocharged 2 stroke to an atmo 4 stroke is pretty apples and oranges too. We have turbo/ EFI, big bore 912s making almost 1 hp per pound with so far decent reliability.
 
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OPOC

I think the OPOC is a better design for the opposed piston engine. With just one crankshaft the supporting structure can be made lighter than a dual crankshaft engine.
 
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