Flexible Fuel Choices

By ANN Contributor Rob Finfrock

Aircraft Engine Systems, Inc., distributor of the new Bombardier-Rotax V220 and V300T (turbocharged) V-6 piston engines, has many reasons that a customer should consider their liquid-cooled engines over air-cooled counterparts.

"The automotive sector abandoned air-cooled, flat engines decades ago," reads the company's press material. "Even the fabled Porsche 911 has been liquid-cooled since 1999!"

Those statements reflect the significant advantage of liquid-cooled engines in any application: more consistent cooling. By circulating the cooling agent throughout the entire engine block, all engine components are kept at a more uniform operating temperature. In an air-cooled engine, components further away from the air induction source can run hotter than the rest of the engine, causing thermal stress.

There are other advantages to utilizing the V300T, the engine on display at AES's booth at Oshkosh 2005, as well. According to Lead Integration Engineer David Medina, the advanced engine also offers enhanced durability at less weight.

"It's going to be slightly lighter than the competitors' 300-horsepower engines," says Medina. "The 540 Lycoming, the 550 Continental… and that's fully equipped, including the radiator."

"It can run auto fuel, or 100 Low Lead, or any combination thereof, with a minimum of 91 Octane," continued Medina. "The ECU (engine control unit) will automatically adjust for optimum performance."

Both the V220 and V300T utilize Fully Automated Digital Electronic Controls (FADEC) that in Medina's words will allow for "automotive style operation and reliability." Both engines can also power electronically driven Primary Flight Displays (PFDs) and Multi Function Displays (MFDs,) in keeping with industry advancements in glass cockpit technology.

"The engines have received many thousands of hours of testing, including over 600 hours in the air, in three or four different platforms," said Medina. The company had on display at their Oshkosh booth a disassembled engine that was subjected to one thousand hours of testing.

AES is currently working with their launch customer, at the moment referred to only as "a major OEM aircraft manufacturer,' towards receiving Part 33 certification. "They've asked for some changes to the engine," says Medina. "Which we're doing, and the timetable is based on their certification efforts."

FMI: www.vaircraftengines.com