A US company plans to offer turbocharger upgrades for a wide range of piston-powered aircraft, beginning with the twin-engined Rockwell Aero Commander. Energy & Engine Technology (EENT) has acquired worldwide rights to turbocharger retrofit kits and airframe upgrades developed by Dick MacCoon's company Mr RPM.
Turbocharging allows piston engines to maintain power to higher altitudes, and increases speed and payload. US supplemental type certification of a turbocharger upgrade kit for the Textron Lycoming-powered Aero Commander is expected in June, says EENT. The Dallas, Texas-based company estimates over 760 of the twin-engined aircraft are candidates for retrofit.
MacCoon has developed several upgrades for Aero Commanders, including re-engining of turboprop-powered examples with the Orenda Recip OE-600 V-8 piston engine. He will be president of EENT's new aviation and power division, which will offer turbocharger retrofits and other aircraft upgrades, beginning with Aero Commander remanufacturing.
Formed in 1999, EENT describes its core business as the development of emerging technology for the energy industry and power systems. The firm is targeting a potential market of almost 37,000 aircraft in the $225,000-650,000 price range, including Beech, Cessna and Piper singles and twins, and has based its business plan on retrofitting 3,600 aircraft over seven years. Turbocharger kits will cost from $18,000 for a single-engine aircraft to $36,500 for a piston twin, says EENT.
Source: Flight International
