16 May 2014
Engineered Propulsion Systems (EPS) flew its Graflight V8 diesel for the first time in early May. The engine was installed in a modified Cirrus SR22 and following initial tests, the team is reporting that all went well. The first flight was completed by test pilot Dick Rutan, who called the engine, “a new paradigm in aviation propulsion.”
The V-8 engine employs an electronic control system designed and manufactured by Bosch General Aviation Technology with the aim of reducing pilot workload and increasing efficiency and ease of operation. The engine is controlled with a single power lever, leaving tasks such as propeller pitch, fuel mixture and controlling engine temperature to the computer, reducing the risk of pilot error. According to the company, the engine uses technologies, like steel pistons and CGI iron crankcases that provide superior strength and durability over aluminum without sacrificing weight. This reduces maintenance costs significantly by increasing the targeted Time Between Overhauls (TBO) to 3,000 hours, a 50 to 100 percent increase over the industry’s current values of 1,500 to 2,000 hours. The engine is designed to produce 350 – 420 HP and will run on Jet-A, JP-8, or straight diesel.
The engine will have its public debut at this year’s EAA Airventure at Oshkosh. The company says it expects the engine to be certified in 2016.
<a href=’http://eps.aero/the-eps-engine/’ target=’_blank’>eps.aero/the-eps-engine</a>
