Tue, Jul 28, 2009
Diesel Engine Manufacture Updates The SR305 Engine
By Chris Batcheller
SMA’s Luc Pelon exclaimed “We’re Alive”
at the start of their press conference Monday. SMA has been
improving their sole product, the 230 HP SMA SR305 Diesel Engine.
Luc Pelon stressed that the company would like to find someone to
design an airplane around the engine, as that would make the best
combination of airframe and powerplant. Luc also noted that the
company would like additional investors.
Brent Maule of Maule Aircraft spoke about his experience with
the Maule M9 and the SMA SR305. Brent said that the Maule Factory
flies at 137 MPH TAS on 9-9.5 gph. Certification on the M9 is
pending. Maule and SMA expect the airplane to be certified
soon.
Jim Render spoke of his experience with the engine in a Cessna
182. Jim is part of the missionary group Fly 4 Life. They’ve
operated the airplane in Africa for the past two years. On
one mission Jim said his pilot flew 540 miles into the desert and
back, and landed with 2 hours of fuel reserve. He also noted
that Avgas is $18 per gallon in Africa while jet fuel can be
purchased at $5 per gallon, allowing them huge operating
savings.
The development team has been working on upgrading the engine,
making several improvements. First is a new exhaust system design
that relocates the turbocharger closer to the engine. This will
help the engine fit into tighter cowls such as a light twin. SMA
has also custom designed a new turbocharger for maximum
performance. Other changes included improvements to the oil pump
and injection pump. They have also improved the restart capability.
“Safety is the 1st thing to think about” Luc Pelon
said.
Luc Pelon noted that SMA is also dedicated to customer service
and support. Thierry St. Loup is their Customer Support Manager,
and he has been working hard to make sure that existing customers
can get parts and service. “We are looking for qualified
maintenance organizations, including Part 145 repair stations and
well established maintenance shops” Thierry St. Loup
said, noting that SMA is looking to expand their maintenance
support network. He went on to note “We have to insure that
our customers will receive quality work”. Thierry also noted
that SMA keeps a large selection of spare parts on hand, further
enhancing their service abilities.
SMA hinted that a customer is planning a ‘round the world
flight with the SMA SR305 engine. Be sure to stay tuned to Aero
News for details.
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