Popular Flying

July/August 2004

 

"WILKSCH AIRMOTIVE SIGN PRODUCTION DEAL WITH LISTER PETTER"

"Wilksch Airmotive (WAM) has announced a manufacturing agreement with established UK diesel engine producer Lister Petter, as part of their thrust towards volume production of the WAM series of aircraft engines. The development of a dedicated engine build facility at the Lister Petter site in Dursley, Gloucester, will enable increased production volumes of WAM engines, commencing in the second half of 2004.

Lister Petter, which produces thousands of industrial diesel engines per year, will contribute engine test facilities, fuel injection system production capability, and extensive assembly-line experience, whilst WAM will institute production Quality Assurance procedures in a dedicated production cell at Lister Petters’ Dursley site. In 2005 WAM expect to have the manufacturing capacity to produce between 205 and 500 engines per year. Further expansion is planned which will satisfy projected future demand of up to 5,000 engines per year.

Former CAA Propulsion Department Approvals Manager, Dave Lambourne, has joined Wilksch Airmotive as Director of Quality to head the Quality Assurance effort, while also assisting with Wam-120 type certification. Meanwhile the Wilksch design team continues work on the larger WAM-160 engine fuel to ship for kit aircraft in 2005.

WAM will be exhibiting at the PFA Rally with examples of their engines in a variety of airframes."