SMA SHOWS OFF 6-CYL TURBODIESEL
01 Aug 2013
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By Dave Calderwood
French engine manufacturer SMA is showing the SR460
6-cylinder turbodiesel engine at AirVenture. It will produce between 330-400
shp and is aimed at high end piston singles and twins.
The SR460 is a development of SMA's existing and
certified SR305 which is the engine in Cessna's latest version of the 182
Skylane, the JT-A.
"The SR460 is a SR305 spinoff," said SMA boss Thierry
Hurtes. "It has 6 cylinders, 2 turbochargers and 2 intercoolers. The ‘460’
in SR460 refers to the engine’s displacement (460 cubic inches, ie 7.5 litres).
The technology base is the same - the cycle is diesel (compression ignition),
it runs on kerosene and the engine is air- and oil-cooled.
"This engine is geared to single and twin-engine
aircraft on the general aviation market. It is perfectly suitable for private
aircraft (leisure flying), but its power range (330 to 400 shaft horsepower)
and flight ceiling (25,000 feet) make it even more ideal for professional
flying (surveillance, freight, etc.).
"SMA is a single-product manufacturer today, and
needs to build its range – meaning its horsepower spectrum and variety of
applications. The opportunities in the general aviation market are more
exciting in the power ratings above the ones our piston engines deliver today
(i.e. 300 to 400 shp).
"The goal is to get it certified in France and the
United States (by the EASA and FAA) in 2015, and start supplying it to
airframers right after that."
No aircraft manufacturer has yet been linked with the new
engine, but the power output would be of interest to Cirrus for its SR22 range,
Cessna for its 206 Stationair, Beechcraft for both the Bonanza single and Baron
twin, and Piper for its Matrix piston single.
LINK
SMA Engines
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