Company Plotting A Slow And Steady Course

Two months ago, SMA moved their US offices and training center from Frederick, MD to Grand Prairie, TX. They are now a part of the SAFRAN campus, which includes SAFRAN USA, Turbomeca North America, Micro Turbo and Sagem Avionics.

They are focused on improving the SECUR system (Synchronized Electronic Control Unit Redundancy) as their innovative version of FADEC, with a mechanical backup mode. They also seek someone to TEAM with them (Together Everyone Achieves More) to share the benefit, success, and development of the product.

SMA developed a 4-cylinder, 4-stroke, air and oil cooled, direct drive 230 hp engine that runs on Jet A instead of 100LL. With a displacement of 305 cubic inches or 5 liters and a dry weight of 430 pounds, it produces 230 horsepower at 2200 rpm. The oil helps cool the cylinders through integral ports around each combustion chamber. (see cutaway) There are two large oil coolers, one on each side of the engine near the firewall. The engine is turbocharged as well. Because of the SECUR system, there is no mixture or prop pitch control.

The engine is currently installed on 50 aircraft worldwide, including Cessna 182s, TB20s and Maules. The installation on a Pulsar S300 is scheduled for Thursday behind booth #91, near Hangar D. The installation in the C182 yields around 12 gph at 100%, 7.9 gph at 65% power. A pilot who flew to Oshkosh in a Maule with the SMA SR305-230 cruised at 135 knots, with much less vibration and noise than a conventional piston engine. More than 18,000 total hours have been accumulated since development and installation.

Cost to install one of these in a Cessna 182, including removal of the old engine, installation, and 10 hours of test flying after the installation, is $125,000. TBO is currently 2000 hours with a target TBO of 3000 hours, once more total time has been accrued.

SMA's main objective of TEAMing with other partners is to improve and industrialize the engine, develop a family of engines, and market and support them worldwide. Although they have partnered for many years with Snecma, they seek to emulate the CFM56 model that has been so successful. SMA's strength lies in the engine development, not in developing STCs or promotion. The current engine can be uprated to 270 hp, and there are plans to develop a 6-cylinder 350 hp engine with the same technology. SMA feels they can use this technology up to 500 hp easily.

SMA has one of their Cessna 182 installations at Fond du Lac airport this week to give demonstration rides. Arrange a ride at booth #91 and see what SMA has under the hood.

FMI: www.smaengines.com