Finally - a PT6 with FADEC: the PT6 E

That video is a bit disappointing.

disappointing is the good word.

Sure but how do you make an exciting FADEC video. Regardless it is a good development. Probably pushed by the new GE engine for the textron turboprop in development.

Don’t know what’s wrong with that video?? I wonder why it took so long. The PW F-100 engine on the early F-16s had FADEC already in the 1970s, over 40 years ago. As a mechanic I used to test it every now and then. The main FADEC was, well – digital, and it had a backup “FADEC” called BUC. This was an hydromechanical “computer”, a large thing with a million parts. Part of the test was to set it manually in BUC mode. BUC mode was almost as good except the afterburner had less thrust. I think all these older engines are replaced with newer variants with redundant FADEC, also for the F16 A/B still flying.

As seen in the new PC-12 NGX

It’s all very progressive, the minimum standard to sell an aircraft in relatively high volume now appears to be:

Turbine:
1) FADEC
2) Envelope Protection
3) Autothrottle

Piston
1) Parachute or Second Engine
2) Integrated Glass

It would be interesting to see if Diamond introduced autothrottle on the DA42/62 given only they have FADEC.

PF

They may start by some rock solid head gasket :P and LeSving wrote:

Don’t know what’s wrong with that video??

2m26 for something that is not really new but demanded by communities since 30 years, without any technical figures but the numbers of flight hours of the PT6, that everybody knows. I hope they don’t pay this video too much.

pistonfever wrote:

Diamond introduced autothrottle on the DA42/62 given only they have FADEC

I imagine a lot of the expensive work would be Garmin’s (Autopilot) side. I’d think that given the low volumes, it might just be prohibitively expensive.

A lot of pilots are also not super current on AP use, and I can imagine WIIDN (what is it doing now) AP moments having much more tragic consequences.

A DA42 is so simple to fly, that it wouldn’t leave you much to do if you had autothrottle.

(Don’t get me wrong, I think it would be a great prowess to have it, but I’d much rather the money being spent on more performance / payload / weather radar etc).