A new delay in the first flight and certification of the Renault Sport/Socata MR250 four cylinder diesel engine is being attributed to "minor problems" with setting up the powerplant by programme manager Luc Pelon.
He denies reports that the engine suffered a major failure while undergoing ground tests. "We are simply making certain that everything is exactly right before we fly," he says. An endurance test required by the French authorities is still to be carried out. "We are confident that the engine will perform as expected," he says.
The maiden flight of the engine, fitted to a Socata TB20, has been put back to "some time in March", a delay of three months from the original December 1997 date, while certification is now expected in the second half of the year. Pelon attributes this partly to the time needed to satisfy the French certification authorities that a new production plant at Renault Sport's Chatillon site near Paris will meet required aviation standards.
The engine will be built with 135kW (180hp), 150kW and 185kW versions, with the latter two the first to be offered to the market. Tests to date have demonstrated a specific fuel consumption of 52 ug/J (0.31lb/shp/h), which Pelon says is 28% less than that of an equivalent four cylinder gasoline engine. "We expect to see even better performance when it is installed in an aircraft," he adds.
Pelon says that there has been "considerable interest" in the engine, much of it emanating from the Far East and Australasia. He adds that the Société des Motorisations Aeronautiques, formed to develop and market the engine, is considering a scheme whereby it could be assembled locally.
Source: Flight International
