Tue, Sep 13, 2011
While last year's Oshkosh finally revealed the answer to "What's
Alan Klapmeier going to do next?" This year's Oshkosh was all about
"What Powerplant Will Alan Select For The Kestrel?" Well... the
answer, much to the delight of a great number of folks at
Honeywell, is none other than the TPE331-14GR.
The Kestrel team went through a vigorous process to determine
which engine would be best suited to power the current product in
development. The Kestrel team notes that their mission is to
'combine high cruise speed and long range, while carrying large
payloads in and out of short runways, with particular attention to
ease and cost of operation. The power and efficiency of the -14GR
is ideally suited to this mission.'
While the mighty TPE331-14GR produces 1759 thermodynamic
horsepower, Kestrel will flat rate the engine to approximately 1000
shaft horsepower, to allow for better high altitude, high
temperature performance, not to mention powerplant longevity (Face
it... at 1000HP, the mill is practically loafing along...).
An equally important decision for Kestrel was not just the
engine, but whether the company would make a good team member.
Kestrel Chairman and CEO, Alan Klapmeier stated, “Making sure
we had the right supplier to further progress on the design was
pivotal. Honeywell’s commitment to the success of the Kestrel
program makes them a real team member. We are happy to have their
support, knowledge, and expertise on board. We look forward to
providing our future customers an exciting aircraft.”
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