Piper Aircraft has delivered the first European-owned Archer DX to its dealership for Scandinavia and the Baltic States, European Aircraft Sales.
The handover to the Danish company comes just over a year after the diesel-fuelled version of the Archer LX piston single was launched, in co-operation with engine manufacturer Continental Motors.
This Archer DX – which received European certification in 2014 – is designed as an alternative to traditional Avgas-fuelled aircraft.
Piper president and chief executive Simon Caldecott says that, outside North America, this fuel is costly and its availability limited.
“The diesel-powered Archer DX was designed to provide our customers with greater access to more economical and readily available fuel sources,” he explains.
The 155hp CD-155 compression-ignition engine – developed by Continental’s German sister company, Technify – can use both Jet-A and diesel fuel, independently or in any mixture ratio, Piper says.
Priced at around $400,000, the Archer DX burns only 22 litres (less than 5 gallons) of fuel per hour at a cruise speed of 114kt (211 km/h).
Source: FlightGlobal.com
