Sun ‘n Fun and a diesel LSA
Posted By RichC on April 13, 2008
IndUS Aviation has flown a two-stroke diesel Thorpedo DP concept airplane from Dallas to Lakeland, Florida for Sun ‘n Fun. This new diesel powered light sport aircraft (LSA) has a unique a three-cylinder, liquid cooled, turbocharged diesel engine installed in an inverted mount. The Thorpedo DP will be the first diesel LSA and is said to only consume only 3.5 to 4 gallon per hour burning Jet-A. Although this is the first time the WAM 120 has been flying in the U.S., it has been flying for four years and logged 400 hours in a Thorp T211 in England. The 220 lb. dry 120 horsepower should be ideal for a variety of airplanes and proves the next generation of “green powerplants” for a slew of LSA.
IndUS Aviation President Ram Pattisapu explained that this will be the first ASTM-compliant diesel engine to enter the marketplace and that “avgas isn’t available around the world like it is here in the United States, so to make general aviation accessible around the world we need an aircraft that uses a fuel that’s more readily available.†According the EAA, IndUS expects special light sport aircraft approval prior to EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh this summer. (July 28 – August 3)
IndUS Aviation’s Diesel Powered Thorpedo DP
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