THIELERT AG - The Success Story of Diesel Fuel continues .............
Category: GA Buyer Europe Magazine
Author: FEATURED MANUFACTURER: Thielert Engines
For seven years now, the Thielert name has stood for ultra-modern jet fuel piston engines for General Aviation. Engines which unite independence, economy and state-of-the-art technology. The roots of the company, based in Hamburg, Germany, are in the design of high-performance engines and precision engine components for the construction of prototypes and pilot production as well as motorsport. Thielert was able to apply its experience and innovative energy effectively, and thus rapidly certified the first jet fuel piston engine for General Aviation since World War Two.
Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH, a subsidiary of Thielert AG, produces Centurion jet fuel motors in its plant in Lichtenstein, Saxony, Germany. In the near future, the company will be opening a new 21,500 square meter plant (2,732 square meters of floorspace) in Altenburg, Thuringia, Germany. The plant will be dedicated to expanding Thielert’s aircraft engine manufacturing capacity, and to design, development, and testing purposes for diesel aircraft engines. At present, the Centurion engine family consists of the Centurion 1.7 with 135 horsepower, and the Centurion 4.0, with 350 horsepower. By 2008, a third engine, the Centurion 3.2 with 230 horsepower, will be added to the range of products.
Over 1,500 of the successful Centurion 1.7 engines have already been sold, making Thielert the global leader in certified jet fuel/diesel piston aircraft engines for General Aviation. Thielert hopes to continue the diesel success story of the Centurion 1.7 with the installation of the Centurion 4.0 engine in other popular General Aviation aircraft. “As announced at the ILA in May, first we will conduct the Supplemental Type Certification for single- and twin-engine Cessnas, to gain entry to the retrofit market. The first demonstration flights with a Cessna 206 went over very well. Now the first customer aircraft will be retrofitted,” said Frank Thielert. “Along with the Cessna 206, the types include the Cessna 340, 414 and 421.”
As with the smaller engine, the Centurion 4.0 is equipped with a genuine single-lever control, a fully electronic engine and propeller control (FADEC, Full Authority Digital Engine Control). Features such as common rail, direct injection, turbocharger, liquid cooling and a gearbox with clutch complete the ultramodern design. The design, components and materials, production process and quality assurance all meet the highest level of aviation technical standards.
Safety, economy and independence with diesel technology The reason for the sought-after initial Type Certifications for the Cessna aircraft is clear: The single-engine Cessna 206 and the twin-engine 340, 414 and 421 aircraft are all popular and frequently used workhorses in General Aviation. “In starting to retrofit aircraft, we are fulfilling the wish of numerous aviation companies to finally be able to fly with kerosene, the standard aviation fuel,” explained Frank Thielert. “Not only does this mean a cost savings of nearly 60%, due to lower consumption and less expensive fuel, it also means a greater degree of freedom and independence. After all, Avgas for conventional engines is not available at all airfields, and hasn’t been for some time, as can be seen in the example of the Düsseldorf Airport.” Outside of Europe and the United States, the availability of Avgas is even more limited.
Thielert also offers the Centurion 4.0 in a tried-and-true form as a pre-assembled firewall-forward kit, with the engine already integrated into the mount and attached to the peripheral devices. Equipped with the Centurion 4.0, the Cessna aircraft are much more attractive than when equipped with the conventional engine. Not only does the Thielert engine offer a higher degree of safety due to shorter take-off runs, the low fuel consumption of 45 liters per hour on average also permits a greater range and better payload, while simultaneously maintaining a higher air speed. Additionally, the design of the engine nacelle for the two-engine types is aerodynamically efficient and stylish.
Centurion 4.0 for the Cessna 206
In May 2006, the first Cessna 206 equipped with a Centurion 4.0 engine performed its maiden flight to the ILA air show in Berlin. Other demonstration flights in Egelsbach, near Frankfurt, and in Altenburg, Germany, were met with a great deal of enthusiasm by the audience in attendance. Thielert is currently field evaluation the Cessna 206 H D-EPCC, in particular for the effects of various propellers on optimizing the performance of the Centurion 4.0 engine. The Supplemental Type Certification is expected from the EASA by the end of December 2006. The first Cessna 206-series aircraft will be retrofitted solely at the new Thielert plant at the Altenburg-Noblitz airport. The Cessna 207 series may also be considered for retrofitting. In general, the 207 series differs from the Cessna 206 models by its longer body. From the present perspective, integrating the Thielert engine into the 207 model appears possible without making significant changes to the basic installation concept.
Centurion 4.0 for 340, 414 and 421
The conversion activities at Thielert are in full swing. Alongside the work on the Cessna 206, Thielert began retrofitting the first Cessna 340 A in October. An initial flight is planned for the end of this year. At the same time, the first retrofitting of the Cessna 414 series has begun. The initial flight of the Cessna 414 is planned for the beginning of December. Thielert expects decisive certification of the retrofit by the EASA in the beginning of 2007. The first Cessna 421 retrofit is also planned for the beginning of 2007. EASA certification is expected by mid-2007. “Certification by the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority is generally granted several months later,” said Jasper M. Wolffson, head of Sales & Service at Thielert. As with the Cessna 206, the two-engine models will initially be produced only in Altenburg, and retrofitted after orders are received.
Centurion 4.0 for the Beech Duke
The company Gomolzig in Schelm, Germany is responsible for retrofitting a Beech Duke with the Centurion 4.0 engine on behalf of Martin Hagensieker, and expects to receive a Supplemental Type Certificate for the B-60. “The Duke project aims for a market in which there are nearly no alternative conventional engines. After the first retrofitting of the Centurion 4.0 with 310 horsepower, the Duke will be equipped with two 350-horsepower Centurion 4.0 engines,” explains Jasper M. Wolffson. Further information on the Duke project can be found at www.dukeb60.de
More than 150 service centers around the globe, and
more new sales partners
The high sales figures are matched by an expansion of the service network. In a single year, Thielert has doubled the number of service centers to more than 150. Only fixed base operators (FBO) whose technicians have completed a training program offered by Thielert are permitted to join the service network. In the training centers in Lichtenstein, Germany and Dallas, Texas, service mechanics working for aircraft manufacturers and maintenance engineers from maintenance companies and fleet operators are trained. After a company has been authorized as a Centurion Service Center, it is permitted to conduct inspection and warranty work on Centurion engines. FBO in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and other European countries have already signed contracts to join the global service network.
Additional recently acquired distribution partners include Cabair Maintenance Ltd. (England), Winters Aviation bvba (Belgium) and Avtohisa Meze Matjaz Meze S.P (Slovenia), Air Alliance (Germany), Hungarian Aircraft Technology and Service Ltd. (Hungary), PPI Consulting Inc. (Philippines) and van Bortel Aircraft Inc. (USA). These companies will conduct service and sales activities for Centurion engines, including retrofits to Cessna 172 and Piper PA 28 aircraft. The number of global sales partners has now reached 18.
Thielert goes American
Thielert engines have not only enjoyed increasing popularity in Europe, Africa and Asia, but also in the United States. At this year’s EAA AirVenture convention in Oshkosh, Thielert announced the signing of a contract with the first flight school in North America. Since 1939, the renowned American flight school “American Flyers” has been pursuing the goal of offering high quality flight training, custom-tailored to the individual needs of flight students, which saves students both time and money. “By choosing Centurion engines, American Flyers has consciously decided in favor of an economical, simple to operate engine that runs on jet fuel,” explains Jasper M. Wolffson. “This allows flight students to have the feeling of flying a jet from the very beginning of training.” American Flyers has a fleet of 55 training aircraft. The flight school is planning to retrofit all Type Cessna 172 aircraft. Epic Aviation, Inc., located in New Smyrna Beach, FL, is the distribution partner for Centurion engines in Central and South America. It supports Thielert and American Flyers in installing the jet fuel piston aircraft engines.
The FAA Type Certification for installing the Centurion 1.7 in the Cessna 172 series was already authorized on January 31, 2005, followed by the FAA Type Certification for the Piper PA 28. Other FAA Type Certifications, for the Robin DR 400 and the Diamond DA40 TDI, will follow soon. The FAA Type Certification for installing the 350-horsepower Centurion 4.0 in Cessna 206, 340, 414 and 421 aircraft is expected in the coming year.
Around the world with jet fuel
The Centurion 1.7 achieved further success in August 2006. The World Flight for Hearing Team’s Diamond DA42 Twin Star, equipped with two Centurion diesel aircraft engines, reached the starting airport Stockholm Barkaby in Sweden, after successfully circling the globe. The hearing disabled pilot Johan Hammarström and his supporting team took off on March 15, 2006, to demonstrate the abilities of individuals with hearing impairment thanks to the help of modern hearing devices. This was simultaneously the first round-the-world flight with a diesel-powered aircraft. The pilots benefited from the economy and reliability of the diesel engine on the many long stages of their flight. They completed a total of 32,000 nautical miles (59,000 kilometers), and used a mere 8,000 liters of fuel. The longest leg of the journey, from Hilo, Hawaii to Crescent City, California, was 2,140 nautical miles and took 12 hours and 53 minutes.
O More information visit – www.centurion-engines.com
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