31 August 2007
Press reports suggest that Cessna is to release next year’s 172 model with a diesel engine option, offering a Thielert engine as an alternative to the standard avgas-drinking Lycoming.
The engine, said to be a 155 hp two-litre turbocharged version, will add something like $15,000 to the price tag. This means that a factory-new C172 with Garmin G1000 avionics and GFC700 autopilot; without autopilot the price falls to $269,500.
The diesel 172 will consume 4.9 gph, produce a cruise speed of 129 KTAS at 8,000 feet (132 KTAS at 10,000 feet) for a 690 nm range with a 550-pound payload.
Cessna <a href=’http://flyer.co.uk/news/newsfeed.php?artnum=589′ target=’_blank’>revealed in June</a> that it was to team up with Thielert; initially it didn’t say, however, which projects would be included in the diesel option. Diesel conversions have, of course, been available for the C172 for some time.
