2-stroke Diesels better late than never
SA Flyer Magazine|July 2023
For years I have moaned about how crappy piston aircraft engines are. They are prohibitively expensive, yet have antiquated technology and are far less efficient and reliable than modern car engines.
2-stroke Diesels better late than never

THE MODERN CAR NOW has mature technology engine management systems that prevent knocking and detonation. They burn fuel at the optimal stochiometric ratio – so you don’t have to fool around with the all-important mixture. They are well cooled and so don’t need fussy cowl flaps or have the risk of shock-cooling on the descent. I could go on ….. and on.

I used to fantasise about the ideal personal plane – an A36 Bonanza with a V8 BMW petrol engine on the front. Ever since the Rolls Royce Merlin, we have known that aero engines can be made that will turn at an efficient 5000 rpm and so have much better power to weight ratios and longevity than clunky direct-drive air-cooled ‘Lycocontasaureses’.

Water cooling works well – despite those who claim that a water cooled aero engine makes as much sense as an air cooled submarine engine. A good example is Rotax flat fours, which happily spin at 5000 plus rpm for thousands of hours. 12 years ago there was widespread panic that Avgas would be killed off, as it is the last fuel to still use super-toxic tetra-ethyl lead. And as already noted, Avgas is expensive. Why it should be so expensive remains something of a mystery. There’s very little reason for it to be more expensive than car fuel, as it does not carry road users’ tax or the huge Road Accident Fund insurance premiums. Yet it’s about 25% more expensive than petrol.

Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av SA Flyer Magazine.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av SA Flyer Magazine.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA SA FLYER MAGAZINESe alt
Iris - her early years: IRIS FLIES ACROSS SUDAN
SA Flyer Magazine

Iris - her early years: IRIS FLIES ACROSS SUDAN

Laura McDermid continues her stories about Iris McCallum's early years in East Africa and the Sudan. In part 1 of this story she recounts how she had to fly a bunch of Belgian Missionaries to Aweil, a city in northwestern South Sudan, from Wilson in Nairobi in her old mate 'ARN', the Piper Aztec 5Y-ARN.

time-read
6 mins  |
June 2024
UGLY IS PRETTY: LEAR 25 VS PILATUS PC-6
SA Flyer Magazine

UGLY IS PRETTY: LEAR 25 VS PILATUS PC-6

When you go to a party where you don't know anybody, you should always go for the 'Ugly' girl, because she will be happy that you chose to spend time with her.

time-read
4 mins  |
June 2024
CIRRUS G7 LAUNCHED IN AFRICA
SA Flyer Magazine

CIRRUS G7 LAUNCHED IN AFRICA

What makes one aircraft better than another? Range, Speed, or carrying capacity, short field performance, operating costs, high wing, low wing, side stick, traditional control yoke?

time-read
2 mins  |
June 2024
PRESIDENT'S TROPHY AIR RACE 2024
SA Flyer Magazine

PRESIDENT'S TROPHY AIR RACE 2024

The annual Presidents Trophy Air Race (PTAR) is the highlight of the year for many competitive general aviation pilots.

time-read
2 mins  |
June 2024
THE ABSA LOWVELD AIRSHOW 2024
SA Flyer Magazine

THE ABSA LOWVELD AIRSHOW 2024

This year marked the thirtieth edition of the Lowveld airshow – and it was widely acclaimed as the best ever.

time-read
2 mins  |
June 2024
PREVIEW: AFRICAN AEROSPACE AND DEFENCE EXPO(AAD)
SA Flyer Magazine

PREVIEW: AFRICAN AEROSPACE AND DEFENCE EXPO(AAD)

Guy Leitch finds out from AAD Exhibition Director, Ms Nakedi Phasha, how the buildup to this year's biennial expo is going, and what visitors and exhibitors can expect.

time-read
4 mins  |
June 2024
APRIL 2023
SA Flyer Magazine

APRIL 2023

April has been a very quiet month on the local aviation marketplace with only nine new registration allocations and three deletions, according to the officially-supplied register review.

time-read
2 mins  |
June 2024
PIPISTREL PANTHERA FINALLY HERE
SA Flyer Magazine

PIPISTREL PANTHERA FINALLY HERE

One of the world's most eagerly awaited piston single engine aircraft designs has finally arrived in South Africa. ZU-KTR is a long awaited Panthera, proudly owned by Bertus Kritzinger, a Free State trucker, and based at New Tempe in Bloemfontein, where the well-known Ferriera Aviation has assembled it.

time-read
9 mins  |
June 2024
STAGGERWING - ALREADY OLD WHEN NEW
SA Flyer Magazine

STAGGERWING - ALREADY OLD WHEN NEW

The Staggerwing was the climax, and the end, of an era.

time-read
5 mins  |
June 2024
The Aim of Bombing
SA Flyer Magazine

The Aim of Bombing

In modern warfare it's not the soldiers who die - it's the civilians. One of the best examples of this is carpet bombing.

time-read
6 mins  |
June 2024