Liberty Aerospace, Inc. unveiled the first XL2 fitted with the Wilksch Turbo Diesel at Oshkosh.
The two-seat plane, which burns Jet A fuel, is designed to appeal to the international marketplace where 100LL is both expensive and hard to obtain, according to officials with the Melbourne, Fla.-based company.
“Our international customers have been very clear to us,” commented Keith Markley, president and CEO. “They need an alterative fuel to the 100LL for aircraft they are running in their flight training fleets”
Wilksch Airmotive (WAM), formed in 1994 in the UK, is developing the two-stroke “diesel” (C.I.) operating cycle. Use of the two-stroke cycle allows high power outputs to be achieved without the need for a reduction drive, according to company officials, who noted the technology has little in common with conventional two-stroke engines, as there are no roller bearings and no crank-case compression or oil-fuel mixing. WAM engines achieve a power/weight that matches or betters traditional avgas burning four-stroke engines, officials said.
For more information: Wilksch.com or LibertyAircraft.com.
