Press Release

Wilksch Airmotive and Atlantic Aeroengineering

Joint Press Release

Wilksch Airmotive Limited and Atlantic Aeroengineering have agreed to co-operating on a joint feasibility study into converting a Cessna-150/152 to a Wilksch Avtur burning engine. Atlantic Aeroengineering has the engineering capability and CAA approval to design and complete the Wilksch engine retrofit and can conduct flight trials under its CAA 'B' conditions approval. As the UK's biggest single user of Avgas, the Atlantic Group is acutely aware of the operational and cost advantages offered by Avtur burning piston engines now that Avgas is less widely available. This combined with improved performance and reliability should provide general aviation with an attractive alternative to existing old technology engines.

At present Wilksch Airmotive is assisting with technical information and when type certification is in sight will provide a flight worthy 120HP test engine for flight trials in a Cessna 150/152. Successful evaluation could lead to a decision to commercially market retrofit installation kits as an Atlantic Aeroengineering Major Modification and STC.

The Wilksch engine retrofit could initially offer significant cost savings on Atlantic's own Cessna 150/152 fleet of training aircraft and, with Atlantic's considerable aero-engineering capability both in support of its own fleet of aircraft and third party work, could give rise to a number of retrofits for interested parties.

Atlantic Aeroengineering's experienced CAA approved aircraft design team headed by Philip Law and Desmond Norman working in support of Wilksch Airmotive's innovative Avtur engine development and production organisation will provide an ideal springboard for the launching of the new engine into the commercial training aircraft market.

30 November 1998