AvGas

[Double Wasp]

I keep hearing these vicious rumours that by 2010 there will be no more avgas produced. Can anyone give me any proof, either for or against, if this is true? Thanks

DW

[Ironman2909]

Well.... I heard the rumour too and it seems to be true! As you surely know Avgas cost more than jetfuel....and avgas cost a lot to produce. Then again, it is not produce in great quantities as the market is not big enough. I have read an article in wich the petroleum industry as made a commitment to the FAA as to produce Avgas until 2010 so that the aviation industry can develop Jetfuel piston engines. So far SMA as put a jetfuel piston engine on the market and there planning on enlarging the choice of power. Honda as joined Teledyne Continental to put on the market a revolutionnary engine that can work on car diesel or jetfuel and should be available until 2004 or 2005. Every company who made piston engines for aircraft are developing as we talk some new jetfuel engines.

 

And I think it is time that we see some development in this field since the technology is very old and not growing as fast as the car industry. Also the new jetfuel engines are burning less fuel than avgas engines and as much has 30% and they perform much better since they less moving parts...........

 

check those sistes if you want more info:

 

http://www.smaengines.com/en/index_en.shtml

 

http://www.investquest.com/iq/t/tdy/ne/news/tdyhonda.htm

 

 http://world.honda.com/news/2003/c030304.html

 

 

[Swingline]

Unfortunately, I think that it is only a matter of time before avgas is phased out. It happened with 80/87, and the same logic (namely, a very small market) applies to 100LL.

 

I would not purchase a light aircraft without ensuring that a mogas STC is available for it.

[Mark K]

Im not sure i would panic too much about the 'crisis'. Im not saying that it wont happen, it will, but i dont think that once avgas is gone, we are all hooped. There are companies out there that are researching additives to other fuels to replicate the avgas formula. Then its getting the gas STC'd (i think thats the right term) which would likely be expediated due to all the pilots and operators out there who will be anxious to recieve the new additive so that they can get back in the air again. I dont know, i just think that it wont be an apolocolyptic event.

[Mark K]

Or you could just wait a year or so, drop $400000 and purchase yourself a diamond twinstar that runs on diesel (and not very much diesel at that!!).

[RotorPilot]

There are already some very good piston engines that run on Diesel and/or Jet fuel, such as the one installed in the Diamond Aircraft.

 

The Centurion 1.7 with 135 HP and the Centurion 4.0 with 310 HP from Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH are just some of them.

 

Kits are already available for Piper PA 28 or Cessna 172 to replace conventional AVGAS engines.

 

http://www.centurion-engines.com/c17/c17_retro.htm

 

These engines are also making some inroads within the non-manned drones. The first twin engined is the Diamond DA42 Twinstar.

 

Teledyne and Honda are still in the "joint feasibility study for a next-generation piston aviation engine currently in development by Honda"

As far as the Renault Snecma engine is concerned I really don't know but the centurion is already flying...

 

Kind of strange talking about aviation engines and using car brands... Nothing yet as good as the Wasp ...

 

http://www.centurion-engines.com/

[North Shore]

I'd be more worried about the price of fuel in general, as it will have a greater effect upon our industry/lives.

Alberta announced a few weeks ago that its supplies of conventional (as opposed to tar sands products) oil were going to decline by about 5% a year from now on, while Saudi Arabia announced that it was pumping at maximum capacity (~9 million bbl/day) about six months ago. More than a few experts (try a search on Dr. Kenneth Deffeyes or Dr. Colin Campbell) say that this means that we are at the peak of production of oil supplies. We've still got a lot left, but the speed of production has started to decline. With the demand at the same level, economics dictates that the price will rise. Course, if someone manages to figure out fusion, then good things may yet come to pass.

Interesting times ahead...