Cessna 182 Equipped With SMA Aero-Diesel Engine Establishes The Mark

Two pilots recently completed a flight to establish the first Airplane Efficiency World Record in the C-1-c class as sanctioned by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (the organization sanctioning aviation world records).

Ross Mc Curdy, a high school teacher in Rhode Island, Thierry Saint Loup, an executive at SMA Engines (Safran Group) in Texas took off from the Essex County airport in New Jersey on July 12th in a Cessna 182 from the Paramus Flying Club equipped with a highly efficient compression ignition engine from SMA. The triangular course was 848nm completed in 9.1 hours using only 56 gallons of fuel, resulting in an efficiency of 15.1nm per gallon, a world record in its class.

Take Off:  Tuesday July 12th 2016 9:29 AM  EST
Landing:  same day 6:35 PM  EST at KCDW Essex County Airport Caldwell, New Jersey
Flight Time:  9 hours 6 minutes

The Bioplane was weighed prior to taking off from Caldwell Airport and weighed again after landing at Caldwell to determine the amount of fuel used and the efficiency attained.

Fuel Used: 56 gallons of aviation biofuel blend
6.18 gallons per hour  

Flight Route: KCDW to KBUF to KPWM back to KCDW
Essex County Airport Caldwell, New Jersey to Buffalo, New York to Portland, Maine and back to Caldwell

This achievement sets an efficiency standard for the new generation of piston engines operating on jet fuel, or biofuel blends. The SR305-230 engine produced by SMA (Safran Group) is a certified piston engine in production operating on Jet fuel designed specifically for operation in light aircraft with its simple design, redundant systems and light weight consuming up to 40% less fuel than current gasoline engines.

Its installation on the C182 is FAA and EASA approved under a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) developed by SMA and now available from Soloy Aviation Solutions in Olympia, Washington. Due to its high efficiency, this engine allows the C182 to fly up to 1300 Nm non-stop, or to carry more payload for shorter missions, a significant advantage over the Avgas engine it replaces.

The flight was completed near max gross weight in a standard, FAA certified configuration without any modification that would have required placing it in experimental category. This efficiency record is therefore achievable in just about any aircraft equipped with an SMA engine. This World Record also demonstrates the potential of aviation biofuels and all renewable energy, as the flight was completed using 50% biofuel from the Camelina plant seed oil.

(Images provided with news release Top: Thierry Saint Loup (left) and Ross McCurdy after completing the Fuel Efficiency World Record Flight at Essex County Airport Caldwell, New Jersey)

FMI: www.bioplane.us