Author Topic: No more diesel-engines? Thielert legal trouble?  (Read 7465 times)

Offline Frank N. O.

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No more diesel-engines? Thielert legal trouble?
« on: June 23, 2008, 02:13:05 PM »
I was looking around on sites with real and simulated aviation (also looking for a demo of the new NASA Shuttle simulator) and it said that Diamond is switching to different brands of engines for the TwinStar, presumably conventional aviation gasoline engines due to lawsuits against Thielert, can someone give some more info on that?

Frank
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Offline Oddball

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Re: No more diesel-engines? Thielert legal trouble?
« Reply #1 on: June 23, 2008, 04:39:24 PM »
well by going by the Thielert web site ( http://www.centurion-engines.com/ ) they had some trouble in April this year but as of 18th June production will be back in full swing again.
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Offline leiafee

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Re: No more diesel-engines? Thielert legal trouble?
« Reply #2 on: June 23, 2008, 08:13:31 PM »
Looked like Theilert was going bust.  Diamond paniced since all their aeroplanes have Theilert engines.  I don't think they are planning to go over to avgas powered ones though -- Diamond were developing their own diesel engine last I read.

Offline Fabo

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Re: No more diesel-engines? Thielert legal trouble?
« Reply #3 on: June 23, 2008, 08:38:13 PM »
Not all, AFAIK, at least TwinStar had option for Lycomings. Looks like Katana went for Rotax/Continental choice too.
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Offline Frank N. O.

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Re: No more diesel-engines? Thielert legal trouble?
« Reply #4 on: June 28, 2008, 11:04:24 PM »
Hmm, interesting, thanks for all the information. I guess Otto-engines are still a good dependable choice but it's interesting to see if Diamond could make their own engine.
Subaru, with the aid of Porsche I think, have now launched their own automotive diesel engine, a boxer, I wonder if one of those would be a better choice instead of the inline Mercedes-based engines that Thielert makes/made.

Frank
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Offline leiafee

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Re: No more diesel-engines? Thielert legal trouble?
« Reply #5 on: June 29, 2008, 02:44:06 PM »
Not all, AFAIK, at least TwinStar had option for Lycomings. Looks like Katana went for Rotax/Continental choice too.

I didn't know that.  Interesting.  I've never come across one over here that had a avgas burning engine.

Perhaps that reflects the relative cost of fuel!

Offline Fabo

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Re: No more diesel-engines? Thielert legal trouble?
« Reply #6 on: July 01, 2008, 03:13:59 PM »
From what I recon, Lycos were meant for American market, where Lycoming is quite much everywhere :) and fuel is much cheaper.

Frank: That could be good idea!
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Offline Baradium

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Re: No more diesel-engines? Thielert legal trouble?
« Reply #7 on: July 02, 2008, 06:22:18 PM »
Not all, AFAIK, at least TwinStar had option for Lycomings. Looks like Katana went for Rotax/Continental choice too.

Twinstar never entered production with Lycomings.   Diamond did fit lycomings to a test bird before certification but never followed through with certification for that model.    HOWEVER, with this current instance they are again looking at getting the lycoming variant approved for production.


Theilert's bankruptcy keepers were demanding upfront payment at overprice as well as saying all parts and engines would have ZERO factory warrantee.  This is unacceptable to Diamond so they are developing their own engine to replace the theilert diesels.   In the meantime, they are looking at getting approval for the spark engine and for authorization to make their own replacement parts for the theilert engines in their airplanes.


http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articles/2008/080619diamond.html  contains a lot of this information as well as a blip on the lycoming twinstar.
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Offline Fabo

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Re: No more diesel-engines? Thielert legal trouble?
« Reply #8 on: July 02, 2008, 07:29:58 PM »
I cross-checked with my source, some two years old, and it writes of Da-42-360 with IO-360 engines as if they were serial, but never mind, might be that way.
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Offline razz4367

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Re: No more diesel-engines? Thielert legal trouble?
« Reply #9 on: July 02, 2008, 10:10:26 PM »
For what it's worth, the FBO I work at has a DA42, and it's got Thielerts in it.  Never heard of a Lycoming version before.  Could be interesting tho.

Fabo, you're right on the smaller Diamonds.  The Katana, or Eclipse (later version of Katana, the one I fly) uses a Continental IO-240.  The Star (DA40) uses a Continental as well, but I can't remember which one.  Guess I'll have to dig out that old DA40 POH I have somewhere around here...   ::whistle::

Personally, I really like the sound of Diamond trying to get their own engines.  Seems as if the engineering for them is good overall on the planes, so I'd imagine the engines would be too.  :)
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Offline Baradium

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Re: No more diesel-engines? Thielert legal trouble?
« Reply #10 on: July 05, 2008, 09:27:34 PM »
For what it's worth, the FBO I work at has a DA42, and it's got Thielerts in it.  Never heard of a Lycoming version before.  Could be interesting tho.

Fabo, you're right on the smaller Diamonds.  The Katana, or Eclipse (later version of Katana, the one I fly) uses a Continental IO-240.  The Star (DA40) uses a Continental as well, but I can't remember which one.  Guess I'll have to dig out that old DA40 POH I have somewhere around here...   ::whistle::

Personally, I really like the sound of Diamond trying to get their own engines.  Seems as if the engineering for them is good overall on the planes, so I'd imagine the engines would be too.  :)

The katana uses the rotax 2 stroke motors.  DA-40 uses the Lycoming  IO-360 I believe.


« Last Edit: July 05, 2008, 09:46:15 PM by Baradium »
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airtac

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Re: No more diesel-engines? Thielert legal trouble?
« Reply #11 on: July 06, 2008, 07:02:36 AM »
For what it's worth, the FBO I work at has a DA42, and it's got Thielerts in it.  Never heard of a Lycoming version before.  Could be interesting tho.

Fabo, you're right on the smaller Diamonds.  The Katana, or Eclipse (later version of Katana, the one I fly) uses a Continental IO-240.  The Star (DA40) uses a Continental as well, but I can't remember which one.  Guess I'll have to dig out that old DA40 POH I have somewhere around here...   ::whistle::

Personally, I really like the sound of Diamond trying to get their own engines.  Seems as if the engineering for them is good overall on the planes, so I'd imagine the engines would be too.  :)

The katana uses the rotax 2 stroke motors.  DA-40 uses the Lycoming  IO-360 I believ



I didn't think the Rotax is a 2 Stroke..........................
« Last Edit: July 07, 2008, 03:27:55 AM by airtac »

Offline chuckar101

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Re: No more diesel-engines? Thielert legal trouble?
« Reply #12 on: July 22, 2008, 04:44:10 AM »
For what it's worth, the FBO I work at has a DA42, and it's got Thielerts in it.  Never heard of a Lycoming version before.  Could be interesting tho.

Fabo, you're right on the smaller Diamonds.  The Katana, or Eclipse (later version of Katana, the one I fly) uses a Continental IO-240.  The Star (DA40) uses a Continental as well, but I can't remember which one.  Guess I'll have to dig out that old DA40 POH I have somewhere around here...   ::whistle::

Personally, I really like the sound of Diamond trying to get their own engines.  Seems as if the engineering for them is good overall on the planes, so I'd imagine the engines would be too.  :)

The katana uses the rotax 2 stroke motors.  DA-40 uses the Lycoming  IO-360 I believ



I didn't think the Rotax is a 2 Stroke..........................

They make two stroke versions, but pretty sure the katana didn't use them.  There built for ultralights like the quicksilver.
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airtac

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Re: No more diesel-engines? Thielert legal trouble?
« Reply #13 on: July 24, 2008, 03:01:29 AM »
For what it's worth, the FBO I work at has a DA42, and it's got Thielerts in it.  Never heard of a Lycoming version before.  Could be interesting tho.

Fabo, you're right on the smaller Diamonds.  The Katana, or Eclipse (later version of Katana, the one I fly) uses a Continental IO-240.  The Star (DA40) uses a Continental as well, but I can't remember which one.  Guess I'll have to dig out that old DA40 POH I have somewhere around here...   ::whistle::

Personally, I really like the sound of Diamond trying to get their own engines.  Seems as if the engineering for them is good overall on the planes, so I'd imagine the engines would be too.  :)

The katana uses the rotax 2 stroke motors.  DA-40 uses the Lycoming  IO-360 I believ



I didn't think the Rotax is a 2 Stroke..........................

They make two stroke versions, but pretty sure the katana didn't use them.  There built for ultralights like the quicksilver.
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