Thu, Aug 14, 2008
As we noted in the first part of this program, there have been
some big changes at Teledyne Continental Motors over the last
year... with the retirement of long-time boss Bryan Lewis, a man
with a new vision has taken the reins of one of GA's leading
powerplant manufacturers with an eye toward keeping TCM at the
forefront of GA tech. In addition to that, TCM's investment in
FADEC is paying off as over 100 FADEC equipped Continental engines
are now flying the skies, and Cessna has chosen a redesigned
Continental O-200D (shown below) to power the SkyCatcher
LSA.
That man is Rhett Ross, and as the new CEO for TCM, he has an
opportunity to push this company and our industry into even more
powerful directions and technologies. In the first exclusive
interview with the new CEO of Teledyne Continental, ANN found that
Rhett Ross found that he seemed to have a good handle on what TCM's
next steps must be in order to maintain industry dominance.
ANN also noted that as one of the most progressive piston engine
manufacturers in the world, TCM realizes that the days of the
conventional piston engine are numbered. Ross and TCM have made a
strong commitment to FADEC controlled engines (which will allow for
some significant latitude in the types of avgas-like fuels we
burn), as well as indicating a strong commitment to alternative
fueled engines.
It is this kind of activity and this kind of commitment on the
part of a major powerplant manufacturer that makes the future of
alternatively fueled powerplants a bright one... a damned bright
one. Aviation can only benefit as a result of the use of new
technologies. Further; aviation has much to gain by having a choice
of new and hopefully less expensive (but certainly more available)
fuels -- and let's face it, aviation has been held hostage to 50
year old engine technology for 49.9 years too long.
ANN's Jim Campbell dragged the Aero-TV team to coastal Mobile,
AL, to see the latest and greatest in TCM's world -- and to get a
feel for how Ross's plans seem to be going.
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