26 July 2017
French company SMA, part of the Safran aerospace group, has struggled to find a partner for its SR305-230E turbodiesel conversion for Cessna’s workhorse 182. In theory, the Jet-A fuel burning SMA engine delivering 230hp should be an ideal match for the 182, especially outside the USA in areas where avgas is getting harder to find.
A promising venture with Cessna came and went, quietly. But now, a year on from doing a deal with Soloy Aviation Solutions, the 182 SMA conversion looks to be heading in the right direction.
At this week’s EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, Soloy and SMA are showing the fruit of the joint development programme, which is in the final stages of getting EASA and FAA approvals. They are expected in late 2017 for EASA, and early 2018 for the FAA.
Soloy Aviation will become the STC (Supplemental Type Certificate) holder of the engine conversion program and intends to market the conversion STC globally, starting in early 2018.
To show off the SMA-powered 182’s prowess, Soloy flew the aircraft nonstop to Oshkosh from Soloy’s home base in Olympia, Washington – that’s a 1,485nm flight – with the aircraft consuming a total of 80 US gallons of Jet-A fuel at an average 8.5usg per hour.
James Cowan, Soloy’s CEO, said, “We’re almost there; certification is close. The future of current 100LL aviation fuel around the world is in question. We view the opportunity to use and improve upon SMA’s Cessna 182 engine installation STC as a valid solution to the thousands of operators of Cessna 182 aircraft around the world.
“At the programme’s completion, we will offer a wide variety of Cessna 182 owners the chance to convert their current avgas engines to this efficient and powerful engine platform either at overhaul or anytime during TBO under the revised Soloy STC. Our special initial pricing option should encourage sales activity on our first 15 kits as our pricing will be very advantageous.”
Dave Stauffer, Soloy’s Chief Operating Officer, has been through many Soloy STC programmes and views the SR305-230E project as having great potential.
“Our initial focus from a mechanical and engineering standpoint has been to take advantage of the engine’s power and reliability. We have found performance improvements through redesign of the current engine installation and aircraft nacelle and cowling configuration. There are many 182s out there and we believe we have a great option for them long term.”
