Soloy Aviation Solutions was one of the sponsors of a July 12 record-setting non- stop fuel efficiency flight of 848 nautical miles that lasted over nine hours and burned a mere 56 gallons of fuel.
The aircraft used to achieve the flight was a Cessna 182 Skylane that featured an SMA SR305-230 compression ignition (diesel) engine powered by a 50-50 blend of biofuel comprised of Camelina plant seed oil with petroleum Jet-A fuel.
Two pilots completed the flight: Ross Mc Curdy, a high school teacher in Rhode Island, and Thierry Saint Loup, (left) an executive at SMA Engines in Texas.
The pilots took off from the Essex County Airport (KCDW) in New Jersey on July 12 and flew an 848 mn triangular course to Buffalo, New York (KBUF), Portland, Maine (KPWM), and back to Essex County Airport.
As a sponsor, Soloy Aviation Solutions officials said they were “extremely interested in the efficiency performance of the SMA engine in a C182 airframe.
Last month Soloy announced a partnership with SMA to bring to market the second generation SR305-230e engine and turnkey STC conversion program to Cessna Skylane operators worldwide.
Under the agreement, Soloy will co-develop an engineering program with SMA to provide the Cessna 182 a more powerful SMA SR305-230e ci engine, as well as improve its installation and aerodynamics package for the airframe.
Applicable C182 aircraft models will be finalized as the program gets underway.
The engineering and testing program will be completed and validated at Soloy Aviation Solutions’ facility in Olympia, Washington (KOLM) under EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) regulations.
Soloy and SMA are targeting mid 2017 for completion of the SR305-230e ci engine conversion STC.
As a french pilot, I’m interested in this new C182-SMA .(why not a more increased power in the near future for this SR305-230 C engine?)
Waiting for french STC operators (2017)
Regards
Unfortunately due to the demographic changes in USA since Reagan tax cuts for super wealthy, no one in the former middle class will be able to afford these type engines/aircraft. In our business which predominately is teaching other pilots to fly seaplanes, we have witnessed first hand the effects of the GOP idea of “trickle down” economics. It doesn’t “trickle down” because the greedy SOBs keep the money themselves. Our clientele used to consist of mostly upper middle class folks and occasionally we would even sell one of our good seaplanes to one of them. Now the only folks who can afford to do this fun flying are the super rich and they are not interested in purchasing a four to five place relatively small seaplane, but instead would buy a Cessna Carovan or other super expensive machine. Our USA tax structure ever since Reagans cuts for super rich has favored the ONLY group now that truly doesn’t need it, mega wealthy folks with over 1000 billionaires now in the country. I don’t begrudge anyone from becoming super rich, but when they pay less of their huge incomes percent wise than we middle class or poor folks do, then I complain. Mitt paid 13.9% in 2011 while my middle class wife and I paid 26%, and now Trump won’t even show his returns. Go figure. The solution my friends is to elect officials who will try to reverse this trend as Bernie Sanders has supported, so that USA can avoid becoming yet another third world country. We are headed that direction with more prisoners than any country in the world, including communist China.
Are you serious? This is a website named “generalaviationnews.com”. Cry your face off elsewhere. The rest of us are too busy busting our rears and researching our next goals. This is a place for ideas, not for your safe place attitude.
Nice way of saying it will probably be a lot more than most Pilots will be able too afford
I can’t wait to see if the converstion will apply to older Cessnas like my normally aspirated 1978 R182.
The conversion will apply to the 182R models. We are going as far back as the 182N.
Hello Ramon,
The R designator can be confusing. Is your 1978 Cessna 182 a retractable gear “R” (rather than a Cessna 182 R made from 1980 – 1996).
It will be interesting to see if the STC will cover the retractable gear Cessna 182’s. I hope so.
sincerely, Ross
http://www.bioplane.us
My plane is a Cessna 1978 Skylane RG (Cessna Model R182 – Serial No. R18200283). It currently has a Lycoming O-540-J3C5D (normally aspirated 235 hp engine. I hopes this clarifies any confusion. Ramon
I’d love to have something like this in my C-182 Q, but there’s never any mention of what the anticipated conversion price will be. It seems unlikely to me that this will be viable for anyone other than flight schools.
Lee,
we are still in the middle of R&D and more details will be forthcoming. If you are going to Oshkosh 2016 come see us!
James, any intention to do a conversion for the PA24 series aircraft?
Thanks for that invitation, James, but Airventure is not on my itinerary…this year. I will try to follow your progress and I look forward to more information as it becomes available. Best wishes for your success!