Flight Safety Bulletin

Winter 1998

 

"The Wilksch Diesel Engine"

"A report published by GAMTA highlights the need for a new generation of aero engines to replace the outdated technology currently available. The GA aero engine market is largely dominated by Textron-Lycoming and Teledyne Continental in the USA, with Renault in France as a re-entrant to the marketplace. There is also a small and highly motivated UK company based at Milton Keynes which has a very interesting new engine under development.

Led by a former Cosworth and Arrows Formula One engineer Mark Wilksch, and supported by grants from the Department of Trade and Industry, Wilksch Airmotive Ltd is at an advanced stage of development of an all new two-stroke diesel engine that has already completed more that 250 hours of bench testing and several flights in a Piper Cub.

Wilksch Airmotive Ltd say that with GA emerging from many years of recession increasing aircraft sales are providing a stimulus to aero engine developments. The anticipated short-term availability of AVGAS 100LL and a need for more environmentally-friendly propulsions for all modes of transportation increases the level of interest in new aero engine development.

The GAMTA report highlights four distinct groups of engine requirements; up to 120hpfor small kit, homebuilt and VLA applications; 120-220hp for private, training and club aircraft; 220-300hp for GA commercial operations and over 300hp to provide competition for low end turbo props. Most of the work undertaken by American and French companies, have concentrated on three latter groups.

Ivan Shaw, designer of the Europa which has sold more than 500 aircraft, is keeping a close eye on the Wilksch diesel and plans to install one of these new 120hp three cylinder engines in a Europa XS in 1999. We await the outcome with interest."