First rotary engine developed for aviation

[rfonseca]

News today in the Areo-News Network on the test of the first rotary engine, The Mistral, developed exclusively for aviation. Gyro's manufacturers: Please take notice of this important engine.

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Mistral Flies
Fri, 30 Jul '04

Rotary-Powered Piper Arrow Flies To Oshkosh Airventure 2004
By ANN Contributor Christopher Armstrong
You might say it's the airplane with an engine that goes hmmmmmmm.

Mistral is showing off its test bed aircraft, a Piper Turbo Arrow III, which flew into Oshkosh from the company's plant in Daytona (FL), powered by a 230 HP turbo charged to the AirVenture airshow in Oshkosh (WI). The company says it plans to certify the engines for use in production aircraft, but will also enter the experimental sport aviation market early next year.

Mistral Engines develops and produces rotary aircraft engines in the 180 through 360 HP range. The engines are available to operate on 100LL or unleaded automotive fuel, with a jet-fuel powered spark ignited engine has successfully run on the test bench with development continuing.

The Mistral powered Arrow is being flight-tested at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Also in Daytona Beach, FL. Since first flight in April 2004 over 30 test and data collection flights have been completed.

Engine Specifications
G-190-A1B G-230TS-B1B
Engine type: naturally aspirated turbo charged Rotary
Power Take off: 190 HP 230 HP (5 minute limit)
Power max. continuous 190 HP 210 HP
Power 75% 140 HP 170 HP
Weight (dry) 291 lbs 328 lbs
Coolant heat load 198,000 BTU/hour 206,000 BTU/hour
Oil Heat Load 90,000 BTU/hour 29,000 BTU/hour
Intercooler Heat Load N/A 15,000 BTU/hour



Both engines are cooled by oil and 50/50 water/ethylene glycol coolant They both use a supervised dual-channel digital engine management system with multiple redundant electronic fuel injection with twin electric fuel pumps. The main alternator supplies 70 amps at 14 volts. Overall, the engine is 39 inches long, 18 inches tall and 26.5 inches wide.

The propeller speed reduction drive PSRU uses a 6-pinion planetary gear at a 2.8235:1 ratio resulting in 1700-2000 propeller RPM in cruise. A hydraulic constant speed propeller governor drive. Propeller rotation in the tractor configuration is clockwise, though for pusher airplanes it is counter-clockwise. The engine features a full compliment of accessory drive pads for dual alternators, vacuum pump and a hydraulic pump or air conditioning compressor.

Although the current engines use Mazda 13B engine rotors, engine housings and eccentric shafts, the certification process requires all parts be manufactured specifically for use in aircraft. Mistral is developing the castings and CNC machining programs necessary to make all parts for the engine. The company is investigating the use of aluminum side engine housings in place of the cast iron housings used in the Mazda rotary. If aluminum housings can be made durable enough, using plasma prayed coatings, Nikasil electroplating or the use of hypereutectic aluminum casting alloy they would reduce engine weight to 40 pounds.

(Hypereutectic aluminum has a high silicon content of 16% to 18% resulting in much stronger parts. In addition to strength, the hypereutectic alloy generally runs cooler and has 15% less thermal expansion than conventional engine part alloys.)



Rotary engines have been used by homebuilders for years and have been very reliable. Engine certification is very expensive and time-consuming, but Mistral will find a much broader market if it can complete the process. At Airventure, two rotary engine installations can be seen in the automotive engine conversions rows along the flight line about half way north to the warbirds.

FMI: www.mistral-engines.com

UNQUOTE

You could find this news at:

http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?C...-00de2d79a45c&

[quadrirotor]

specific consomption of this rotary engine?

for example:
rotax 503 -> 360 grammes/hp/hour.
rotax 582 -> 340 grammes/hp/hour.
rotax 912 ul -> 240 grammes/hp/hour.
Stratus ej22 subaru -> 210 grammes/hp/hour.
diesel-air lankotter gmbh -> 160 grammes/hp/hour.
turbo-diesel Renault SMA SR305 -> 144 grammes/hp/hour.

(ref: Mondial de l'aviation de loisir 2003/2004. http://widola.com)

[Mistral Engines]

Some people have been wondering what was the fuel consumption of Mistral rotary engines. I can now publish it for the G-190 model:

207 g/hp.hr or 0.455 lb/hp.hr or 10.9 gph at 75% power (143hp). (who ever said rotaries were fuel hogs?!?!?)

The engine is now giving 196hp (corrected to sea level, ISA) at 2200 as well as 2300 propeller rpm. We are still working on the exhaust manifold and I keep a bottle of champagne in the fridge for my guys if they hit the "magic number" of 200hp...

Additional information on the turbo G-230TS will follow in a few weeks, we are still working on the turbo system. Specific fuel consumption is almost identical to the normally aspirated model.

Francois Badoux, CEO, Mistral Engines

[Victor Duarte]

Francois,
your engines are beautyfull, but 31 k $ for the amateur construction market..mmm..it hurts
maybe more for the pro market.
cheers

[C. Beaty]

Sounds a lot like Tracy Crook's Madza conversion; 6 pinion planetary redrive, dual channel fuel injection and engine management system.

http://www.rotaryaviation.com/

[Friendly]

I agree Chuck, although the new engine is a lot more research and design, Tracys simple easy to do instructions and you can pick up a Mazda new rotor and housing for about 1800. Thats a lot of bang for the buck.

[Mistral Engines]

I agree that the sticker price is steep but it's just impossible to get first-rate "certifiable" quality, sell at a lower price and still make a bit of money in the process... well, at least until we can sell a few hundreds of them a year!
Please, don't stop at sticker price but look at what is included, at the warranty and at lifetime costs. You are welcome to contact mistral (info@mistral-engines.com) when ever you want, you'll get an answer.
Cheers, Francois

[Sonnyj]

Not trying to be mean but 30k is way too much mony.

[Victor Duarte]

for a certified aircraft, it is fine, but for an experimental or ultralight... no way.

[PW_Plack]

Maybe too much in the gyro world, but lots of guys who build experimental fixed-wings have budgets like that.