The Knocking Culture

[mnewbery]

This post is inspired by recent responses to the Cessna T182T Diesel post

 

http://www.theaussieaviator.net/threads/jet-fueled-182-cessna.34510/

 

In between high school and my first real job, I worked in my daddy's diesel engine shop. Somewhere in there I had to study thermodynamics at university. I get why things are the way they are now. The UK and the kiwis have a much better record of taking commercial off the shelf (COTS) products like stationary diesel engines and putting them in places the manufacturer never intended ... like putting a 750cc diesel engine in a small road bike frame. Much better than us in Australia and for a long time.

 

It was a rubbish idea, only getting to 35mph, heavier than the brakes were meant for but the fuel consumption was something like 100+ MPG. It worked and it paved the way for better attempts. We now have diesel motorcycles in NATO (Royal Enfield has been making a 350cc diesel for years longer than Kawasaki adapted their KLR650).

 

So my point is that if NZ can build a whole culture around the Ponga fence idea (google that one) and the poms were forced into making beastly three cylinder road bikes out of car engines and bits of scrap, can we Australians please stop waiting for the (diesel aero engine) ship to come in?

 

If you want a 100hp diesel, I suggest A PERSON start by looking at the design of something like the Yanmar 4JH4-HTE marine diesel and figure out how to make it small then light enough for a motorcycle. This is exactly what I tried to do in between selling spare parts and dusting the floor stock.

 

Again, its time we Australians stopped complaining about how non-fliers, beaureucrats and the greenies are against us then just go build something:

 

Victa lawnmower

 

Hills hoist

 

Dave Warren's cockpit voice recorder

 

Ralph Sarich's Orbital Engine

 

Taffy Bowen's DME sender and receiver

 

Michael Coates XCOM 760 VHF Radio

 

Bas Scheffers and Paul W. OzRunways

 

Rodney Stiff and Phil Ainsworth Jabiru engines and airframes

 

Paul Chernikeeff's Rotec (and water cooled heads for Jabiru)

 

(insert your name here)

 

http://www.yanmarmarine.com/index.cfm/go/Powerboat-engines/

 

http://www.dieselbike.net/privateproduction/privateproduction.htm

 

I have no problem picking up a book, a spanner and a blow torch to make something that's never been done before (like taking a Rotax or Jab core then putting diesel heads off a Yanmar or Kubota on it) just to see what happens. Sure stuff will blow up and snap off but look at the 80hp engine and gearbox Rotax went to market with during the 80s. Now it has 75% of the two seat aero engine market.

 

Just a teaser, Tata and Bladon have used electric discharge manufacturing (EDM) to create a single piece microturbine for Jaguar. This is a range extending internal combustion engine for an electric car. Bladon are offering the same technology platform up to 100 kW. So again the poms are asking 'how' rather than 'why not'.

 

http://www.bladonjets.com/

 

CNC EDM machines have been available commercially since 1972. These machines are in use in Australia. Anyone can commission a fairly complex part and have it made as long as the drawings can be done.

 

Paul, if you are listening, those rotec LCH heads look a lot like the head off a Yanmar L100.

 

 

[TAA Student Pilot]

This post is inspired by recent responses to the Cessna T182T Diesel post).

Is the thread title "Knocking culture" a pun on the rattle of diesels or because of some questioning posts? If the last I'm not knocking diesels, look at modern motor diesel engines, great engineering. What I was commenting on was the small converted car engine has been hailed as the saviour of GA for about 20 years, we still haven't seen much past the prototype stage. More power to anybody who can develop one for GA.

 

It was a rubbish idea, only getting to 35mph, heavier than the brakes were meant for but the fuel consumption was something like 100+ MPG. It worked and it paved the way for better attempts. We now have diesel motorcycles in NATO (Royal Enfield has been making a 350cc diesel for years longer than Kawasaki adapted their KLR650).

Have you ever ridden a Royal Enfield rattler? :D

 

 

[mnewbery]

Both and no. I have spent many hours behind one in traffic, coincidentally. I'm up to motorcycle #35 maybe?

 

I've been researching the Great Wall v200 turbo diesel for conversion tonight. $24k for the whole ute... 105 kw @ 4000/min and a programmable ecu for the common rail injection.

 

 

[TAA Student Pilot]

Both and no. I have spent many hours behind one in traffic, coincidentally. I'm up to motorcycle #35 maybe?

Om up to 39 now, but I'd guess I'm older than yoo :D I'm officially an old fart