Liberty Aerospace plans to offer its XL2 two-seat trainer with a diesel engine from next year as it seeks to address a growing requirement from flight schools outside Europe and North America for non-piston-powered aircraft.
An XL2 with a Wilksch Turbo Diesel engine was unveiled at the end of July during the EAA AirVenture 2009 show in Oshkosh.
Liberty chief executive Keith Markley says it is too early to provide a certification schedule, but first flight is "a few months away" and Liberty aims to begin marketing and demonstrating the aircraft next summer.
The XL2, which was first certificated in 2004, now only comes with the Teledyne Continental IOF-240, a full-authority digital engine control piston.
Markley expects customers in Australia, Europe and North America to continue choosing the IOF-240, pointing out that Liberty is the world's biggest buyer of FADEC pistons.
He says the new diesel option will be marketed mainly at flight schools in growth markets, in particular Asia and the Middle East.
"They're screaming for an alternative to 100LL," Markley says. "We've had many flight schools tell us we'll buy the airplane period if you go to Jet A. This is internationally driven."
He says 100LL fuel now costs up to $5.5/litre ($21/USgal) in some Asian and Middle Eastern markets and in some places it is no longer available.
Markley says 80% of Liberty's sales are to flight schools and 80% of its sales are outside the USA. He says "there are flight schools opening all over the world", but there would be even more if two-seat diesel-powered trainers were available. Diesel engines are now only available on more expensive four- and six-seat aircraft.
Markley says Florida-based Liberty has been looking at alternative fuels for several years, but concluded that they were too risky to pursue.
He says Liberty also has been evaluating the diesel products of Wilksch Airmotive for some time and the UK-based manufacturer's recent ability to secure a new investor familiar with diesel technology through its involvement in race cars persuaded it to formally select the engine.
"Wilksch clearly has the financial backing. But it's not only the money - these guys know their engines," Markley says of the new Wilksch owner.
The Wilksch Turbo Diesel now powers several types of experimental aircraft in Europe, including the Vans RV-9. The XL2, which Liberty has been producing at a rate of about 50 a year, will be the first certificated aircraft to be powered by the engine. "We're confident this will deliver triple digit figures every year," Markley says.
Source: Flight International
