Diesel Engines Start Making Their Move Into Home-Built Airplanes With The Glasair Sportsman

The use of diesel power for aircraft engines was experimented with early in airplane development. However, it never caught on because gasoline was plentiful and cheap, and the investment in diesel technology just didn’t seem worth it. Now, that has changed.

In an AeroSports Update published last June we revealed that Glasair was making the Technify 2.0 liter diesel powered Sportsman available. Now, it’s reported on the Glasair blog that a diesel Sportsman has rolled out the door following the successful completion of their ‘Two Weeks To Taxi’ (TWTT) program.

The TWTT program takes place at Glasair’s Customer Assembly Center (CAC) and allows the builder to completely assemble a Sportsman in a highly educational and recreational setting. During the much regimented process, the builder learns about the various systems and components of the aircraft. By the end of two weeks it’s time to turn on the master switch; fire up the engine and make the first taxi test.

According to the Glasair blog, this is exactly what happened earlier this month when Martin Pedersen completed his Sportsman, and it is also the first diesel Sportsman to be built in the two-weeks program. It’s reported the build went smoothly and Pedersen was able to rev up his CD-155 diesel engine and taxi his Sportsman, as advertised, at the end of two weeks.

The Technify 2.0 liter diesel is rated at 155 horsepower using a single-stage, exhaust-driven turbocharger. Full authority digital engine control (FADEC) allows the pilot to set maximum power anytime full power is desired, without worrying about over boosting the engine.

Here are some numbers provided by Glasair based on early testing. At about 60% power, the diesel is burning 5 gallons per hour. With full main tanks, that makes the Sportsman a 5-hour airplane plus a 1-hour reserve, while carrying about 840 lbs. of payload. Fill the auxiliary tanks, and the Sportsman becomes about a 10-hour airplane including an hour’s reserve, still carrying about 700 lbs.

(Image provided by Glasair. Pedersen and Glasair’s Ben Rauk rev up the engine for the first time)

FMI: www.glasairaviation.com