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Diesel Aircraft Engines?

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Guest Heather 636

I was asked yesterday why they had never heard of a diesel airplane engine. I used to know why but for the life of me couldn't remember.So, why not?Regards,Heather

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Guest Dominik Mann

Actually, back in the late 1920s and 1930s there were two or three Junkers aircraft fitted with "heavy oil" (meaning diesel) engines. The Soviets also built at least one variant of one of their heavy bombers with diesel engines, but I need to look up which they were. Also, several European aviation engine builders (one of them is a company named Thielert) have designed and built prototypes of diesel engines for GA planes in recent years. They accept both diesel fuel and regular aviation gasoline. Flight tests suggest these engines have all that is needed to make old-style Otto aviation engines obsolete, since they are a lot more fuel-efficient and do not require leaded fuel or noxious additives. The engine designed by Thielert has now been certified and is scheduled to be offered as an alternative to the classic Otto engines on several types of small airplanes. Interestingly, it is based on an automotive diesel engine - a Volkswagen TDI turbo-charged one, IIRC.Look here for more info: http://www.thielert.com/This is what the thing looks like:http://www.airventure.de/newspics/Motor%20ohne%20Cowling.jpgAnother company (might be Rotax of Austria, but I'm not sure of that) is working on a five- or seven-cylinder radial diesel engine.HTH!

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Guest Heather 636

Thanks guys!Goes to show you can always learn something new. Cheers!Heather

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Guest Dominik Mann

Here is one of Junkers' diesel-powered aircraft:http://home.arcor.de/swingaring/g38hamb.jpgThe huge G38 was the world's largest land-based airplane when it first flew in 1929. It accommodated 34 passengers and a crew of seven. An interesting feature was the location of six passenger seats (2x3) in the glazed wing roots inside of the inner engines, offering a spectacular view for those fortunate enough to be able to sit there. Although the G38 was a safe, comfortable and reliable aircraft (it was possible to access the engines in flight for servicing, if required), airlines generally preferred fast planes such as the He 70, resulting in only two of the big G38s being built. The first of those, registration D-2000/later D-AZUR, was destroyed in a landing accident in 1936, which, however, all people on board survived. The second G38, D-2500/D-APIS, was confiscated by the Luftwaffe after the outbreak of Big Mistake No. 2 and used as a troop plane until it was destroyed on the ground by English fighters at an airbase in Greece in 1940.

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Guest bartels

The Jumo 4,5,205 where considered being THE future aircraft engine around 1936 in Germany. A lot of aircraft where designed to use them, including the famous Ju-52 which was refittet to radial engines later. The Jumo diesel was very interesting in its design with six cylinders and twelve pistons, which worked opposed as a two-stroke engine. For a diesel engine quite light, with a huge compression, never needing special starting devices like glowplugs. It had probably a still too bad weight/power ratio to really catch on.Arne Bartels

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Hi Heather. The Junkers 86 was designed with diesel engines. Saw WW2 service as a light to medium bomber and also as a High Altitude Recon Aicraft. Also built/used under license by the Swedish Air Force during the WWII period.Best Regards,Ed Green, KCLTegreen1@carolina.rr.com

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