Peter,
the diesels were not only slammed, they were DESTROYED and rightly so after the Thielert bancrupcy, because they became ruinous to keep. Which, I may add, had nothing or very few to do with the technical status at that time but with the fact that the pyramid scheme Thielert had introduced (all maintenance to TBR included) collapsed and people were stranded with very expensive maintenance they thought they had paid for.
Nobody held back at the time with their frustration and rightly so. It was a big warning for anyone to invest in a new stand alone company, which has paralyzed not only Thielert products but SMA probably similarly.
But that is ancient history by now, the engines are now owned by Continental and their operating cost is well established. And SMA is now looked after by Soloy, so both diesel makes are connected with reputable manufacturers.
Shorrick does have more than a point I have to say. People are sticking to their old engines because they fear the new stuff in some cases rightly so but in most cases out of pure unwarranted conservatism. Hence there are few sales, hence no mass production, hence expensive. The snake bites its own tail.
I think people stick to what they have for other reasons, the main one being the massive capital investment relative to the typical mission profile which is:
As an outside observer, I see e.g. Silvaire and Achim having a huge factor in common: both fly old planes which have depreciated to just the value of the engine TBO, a “few quid” for the airframe, and a bit for the avionics. These planes owe their owners nothing (an English idiom). I keep cars for many years for the same reason; I had a Toyota Celica for 15 years.
If somebody does an IO540-mounting-compatible 250HP diesel, for $70k, they will sell loads. Of course nobody will. So nobody will sell anything really, this being the non-FTO market segment.
BTW I would install a 250HP diesel tomorrow, subject to the usual requirements…
Lyco fixed that issue about 20 years ago.
Peter wrote:
As an outside observer, I see e.g. Silvaire and Achim having a huge factor in common: both fly old planes which have depreciated to just the value of the engine TBO, a “few quid” for the airframe, and a bit for the avionics. These planes owe their owners nothing (an English idiom). I keep cars for many years for the same reason; I had a Toyota Celica for 15 years.
I’ve invested about $60K total in buying my two planes, and they will last forever unless somebody crashes them. So it’s not exactly the same as a full depreciated car which in the end will be thrown away, more like a classic motorcycle. These are beautiful ‘forever’ machines and that is a major factor that enables my ability to own and enjoy them. I love stuff like that, it’s what I pursue, and if it were otherwise I wouldn’t be flying at all 
Quite apart from the Diesel capital cost issue, and the $$$$$ calendar based total engine replacement schedule, there is the cost of maintenance. How much does the periodic maintenance of just the cooling sub-system of a Diesel aero engine cost? Even the hoses are outrageously priced. To me and for me, this whole thing is insane. I spend almost nothing maintaining my engines – they don’t need much beyond oil changes and they don’t break. Any saving in fuel cost is negligible in comparison – I spend about $2000/year total on AVGAS for both planes at $4.15/USG, a tiny fraction of my working salary.
If the response to that costly situation is sharing a plane with others to save money, increase calendar time utilization and spread the costs, I’m as interested in doing that with a plane as I am with my wife.
Peter wrote:
Lyco fixed that issue about 20 years ago.
I do not think so. But that was not the point. The point is that it can be fixed “in the bush”!
Peter wrote:
Lyco fixed that issue about 20 years ago.
They absolutely did not fix that issue.
I regularly fly a Cessna 182 with the SMA engine up front, it’s a nice platform and I enjoy flying it. If you’ve noticed my location, it might not come as a surprise that 100LL is very hard to come by. If you can find it, you’ll pay around 3,5 to 4 USD per liter. Before we had the 182, we used a Cessna 206, but consumption at 60 liters is burning a lot of dollars. Initially we were hoping SMA would start produce a build in replacement for a 206 engine, but that did not happen. We still hope in the future it will, as the 182 is not a 206 replacement. So the 6 cilinder SMA intended for the planned 7 seat DA50 is going to be interesting! Lets hope in the future it will be STC’d so we can put it in the front of a 206.
The Jet-A1 powered SMA is not the most ideal solution in a warm place like this. Engine is limited by ISA+25 (newer E model ISA+30) and for our elevation it means that we cannot operate it when the temperatures go above 37 degrees C. In the hot months we are limited to morning flights. I don’t think it will be much of a problem in Europe. Maybe higher up in the Alps on a hot summer day it might become limiting.
The engine is vibrating a little more than the usually powered AvGas or MoGas power-plants, but apart from a broken intercooler bracket now and then, it doesn’t seem to be a real problem. Flying you don’t really notice it, but we do have a natural composite prop which for this reason. I’m assuming a 6 cilinder version runs will run with less vibrations.
The newer engine (E model) is more powerful because it has a bigger turbo. I’ve flown it once and the difference with the older engine is big. Climb and cruise performance is much higher. The bigger turbo seems to make a big difference. But to be honest it seems like a complete new engine if you compare it to the older model we fly. Larger oil sump, different hose connections, larger turbo and probably other things I haven’t noticed.
I can only say that the day AvGas will become hard to get in the USA, SMA will profit from it. They seem to be the only manufacturer with an diesel engine over 200HP that is certified and reliable. Too bad Cessna put their C182 JTA development on hold.
I’m looking forward to the real world results of the 260HP version Diamond will put in their DA50. Anyone knows if they have a wooden prop as well?
My optimal plane would be
BRS Parachute
6 seats
Jet a/diesel
Fadec
Wx radar
(Pressurized)
It doesn’t exist.
Avgas at my home base is ~3€/L.
A diesel 182 with BRS added vs an old 250k SR22 could be interesting.
What would the cost per NM be between the two?
A used Meridian or Jet prop will do the trick…
