DeltaHawk Diesel Engine

A forum to alternate source of power to include Eggenfellner and other conversions.
rv8vator
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DeltaHawk Diesel Engine

Post by rv8vator »

What about the DeltaHawk Diesel engine?

There is at least one RV-8 now being built with this engine in mind, and I intend to do the same.

This is an engine designed for aircraft, and should be equal with any Lycoming and certain the Suburu.
MARTIN SOBEL
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Spike
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Information ?

Post by Spike »

I cant say that Im really familiar with that conversion. Do you have a website or any other info on it ? Id be interested in hearing about it.

-- John

rv8vator
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DeltaWawk Diesel

Post by rv8vator »

MARTIN SOBEL
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Spike
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Well Duh ..

Post by Spike »

You would have thought that I would have tried that right off the bat. Guess I'm a bit slow sometimes ....

-- John

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Post by rv8vator »

Well, it is not that evident. One would not think you needed the whole deal for the web site.

The A4 is the model that should fit well in the RV series. I have been watching the progress for several years.

Other deisels available are either too big, aned in fact they are converted automobile engines.
MARTIN SOBEL
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Spike
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Deltahawk Engine ...

Post by Spike »

Their website seems encouraging if you ask me. Do you have any more current information ? I really like how they went with the two stroke design eliminating mechanical valves. Very impressive and basic if you ask me. I like it. :mrgreen:

Dan A
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Post by Dan A »

Martin, Did the Delta Hawk people run the prototype with the constant speed prop? I remember sometime last year they had good flights with the fixed prop in the Velocity. I haven't heard much from them since then. I like their idea and think it willl prove out good. The development seems slow but they are trying to provide a quality product. As a result I went with a IO360-M1 from Bart at Aerosport power. It's a good looking engine and they provided extras that the other people don't.
I'm down to the finishing glass work and hoope to have it flying in the spring..
Dan Adams
Cheney, WA
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flyerfly
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Deltahawk

Post by flyerfly »

I went to see the Deltahawk and it seems that they really are trying hard to make a very good quality product. Right now the only thing that is holding me back is the way the engine mount tabs on the inverted version is.

They told me that they were thinking of developing a dynafocal type mount tabs for it though. I have no idea when this might be done though as they would have to change the casting for the case. The current mount makes it really hard without a bunch of trussing to use on a 7A.

If you want to see how they mounted the inverted engine on a 172 they have a picture somewhere on their web page. You can also download the CAD models of this engines envelope if you want.

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Post by Marine »

I have heard lately a lot of talk / rumors about how DeltaHawk is having problems with their engines. Cooling, wrist pin issues, etc. So far, I've gotten no response to my questions about this. Their website hasn't been updated lately.

I very badly would like to put one in my RV-10. I've already made the mods to the fuel tanks to provide the flow-through venting as specified on their website. However, if they don't start providing information soon, especially about their 200 hp engine, then I'm going to have to look somewhere else.

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Snap
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Post by Snap »

have you guys seen the Centurion 1.7? It is a Mercedes derivative.
Diesel, turbo, constant speed, dual FADEC and burns about 16-17 lt/hr and produces all its horsepower up to 16-17 thousand ft. 135hp produces more static thrust that 160hp lycoming



http://www.centurion-engines.com/c17/c17_start.htm

I have been watching it for years. It is stc's for cessna and piper stuff.
Worth a look. :)
RV-7A Emp
I would rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.

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Deltahawk

Post by Guest »

Have you looked at the Wilksch WAM-120, www.wilksch.com . They have a 120HP 3-cylinder in-line 2-stroke turbodiesel. They have 2 flying (on a Thorp T-211 and a Europa) and have just started shipping customer engines. They are developing an RV-9A installation and have around 10 engines on order to RV-9 builders. The RV-9 installation will use an MT hydraulic CS prop.

If you need more power they have a 4-cylinder 160HP in development and are aiming to get the engine certified in the next year or so.

Dave

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cjensen
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Post by cjensen »

here's a good update article that came out last saturday if you missed it...

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=410085
Chad Jensen
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rv8vator
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Post by rv8vator »

I just returned from OSH.

I have been looking at the 180 hp DeltaHawk Diesel over the past several years.

See: http://www.deltahawkengines.com

Despite the difficulty of a brand new engine, I feel the benefits of this diesel are too numerous to overlook. It will pay for itself by the time a Lycoming is due for an overhaul. This forecast was made with last years fuel prices.

I spoke with both DeltaHawk and Curt LoPresti of LoPresti Speed Merchants <http://www.speedmods.com> about LoPresti designing both an engine mount and cowl for the RV-8. If I can get a sufficient number of builders interested in the DeltaHawk engine, LoPresti has agreed to design an engine mount and Cowl.

One of LoPresti’s concerns about getting into the homebuilt market is that it is very easy to rip off a design for a cowl or fairing. A production engine would need an STC’d design. Selling only firewall forward kits might help solve this problem. Any other ideas?

MT has a propeller on the DeltaHawk Velocity. AeroComposits <http://www.aerocomposites.com> will be supplying a test propeller shortly.

I am hoping to get some support from Van’s in identifying builders who might be interested in taking the plunge, but as you may know, Van has not been too supportive of alternative engines.

I have also spoken with DeltaHawk about starting a Yahoo Group for their engines.

Should there be sufficient interest to proceed with this program I will visit DeltaHawk for a first hand view of their engine and its progress. The 180 hp engine will be perfect for the RV-8/A. A properly designed cowl should yield additional speed or economies. I don’t think that there is a better design company than LoPresti.

As a back up, I also spoke with Sam James. He said that they were very busy, but he would talk with me. His location is not too far from me, nor is LoPresti for that matter.

I’d also appreciate any ideas in getting this word out to RV builders. It may be that RV 7 and 9 builders could also benefit form this program.

Martin Sobel
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1:1_Scale
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Post by 1:1_Scale »

There's an article about this engine in the Dec. issue of Kitplanes magazine :) Sounds like it could be a nice powerplant :thumbsup:

Mike Freas
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Post by Mike Freas »

This thread has been dead for 5 years now. Any new information or RV's flying with one of these?

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cjensen
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Post by cjensen »

Mike Freas wrote:This thread has been dead for 5 years now. Any new information or RV's flying with one of these?
Nope. :wink: Still just the Velocity test bed, and a Cessna Skymaster with one on one end, and the Conti on the other... :roll:
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Homebuilt7
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Post by Homebuilt7 »

AOPA magazine (Sept 2010) has a blurb on the US Navy installing a Deltahawk diesel on one of their blimps for testing. The article also states "Deltahawk engines could be certified as soon as 2011". I'm about a year away from making an engine decision for my RV7 and have Deltahawk on the radar screen. I would really like more feedback from folks who are flying the engine before commiting to buy one.

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cjensen
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Post by cjensen »

Unfortunately, you won't get any feedback...there are NONE flying outside of the factory that I know of...
Chad Jensen
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Bob Barrett
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Post by Bob Barrett »

Diesels may be in our future but a few years ago someone put a brand new Franklin Engine in an RV. He figured it added at tleast two years to his build time! You have to build your own egnine mount, possibly a whole different cowl, you may some type of prop estension which again will be all new. Those are just some of the things that come quickly to mind. Finish your 8 with a lycoming designed to mate with a Van's aircraft. Then if you really see Diesels coming into their own build a second airplane with that in mind. You ought to consider resale value of your aircraft. With a lycoming engine it is standard, you have a one of a kind installation you might have one very hard time selling it! :bang: :bang:

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Post by Homebuilt7 »

Hi Bob,
I can sure appreciate the complications a new offering can add to a project. Fallen into that trap a few times. It seems that Deltahawk will offer a complete package including the engine mount as part of the installation kit. Not so sure about the cowl. I came across a recent youtube video from this past spring from sun-n-fun if anyone cares to see a fairly recent company update.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_hyZBYi ... r_embedded
I'll fall into line with everyone else and go with the 180hp Lycoming in the end. Can't afford to be a tester but it was fun to think about.
Glenn

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