Textron Lycoming is evaluating whether to continue development of the IO-580 piston engine, following Cessna's decision to switch to the company's IO-540 to power its 206 Stationair piston single.
Cessna decided to change engines after the turbocharged TIO-580 failed endurance testing. The switch-over has delayed deliveries of the 206 and T206 Turbo Stationair by almost a year.
Lycoming declines to detail what happened to the engine, but acknowledges "durability" problems. "The engine almost met our very aggressive requirements, but did not quite make it," it says. "We felt it was best, at this point, to pull it off the market and go back to a -540 configuration for Cessna."
Lycoming believes that it may be able to make the IO-580 work with additional development "-and we think we probably can, but we have not made a decision because we're not quite sure what the problems were caused by". Cessna suggests that the problems concern the -580's cylinder design.
The 225kW (300hp) IO-540 and 230kW TIO-540 will produce the same power as the engines they replace, in the 206 and T206, respectively. The TIO-540 will provide maximum power at the same 2,500RPM as the -580, but the IO-540 will be operated at 2,700RPM. This may increase propeller noise on the 206.
Source: Flight International
