Cheers,
I too am in the precarious stages of deciding on the engine.
The advantages of a diesel seemed earlier to me to point to them.
(1) Metallurgy has progressed very much over the last ten years, such
that diesel engines have managed to strip a lot of the metal needed to
protect against the pressures of compression ignition.
(2) Up north, they say "you can't kill a diesel". Obviously once it gets
going, the ignition system is simple.
(3) If an engine won't start, the best place for that is before you fly.
(4) No carb ice
(5) No temperature (dens alt) correction (fuel injection).
(6) No altitude complexity, see (5)
(7) Turbo fuel becoming more prevalent, as smaller turboprops arrive.
(8) Diesel produces best torque at prop revs (no speed reductn gear)
(9) Less noise at airports and in cockpit, see (8)
(10) Diesel fuel has higher ignition temp. in a prang.
(11) Jabiru 3300 has too many cylinders per HP.
Main disadvantages:
(1) We prefer to fly into Mom-and-Pop airports in U.S.A.- friendly,
local,generous. They won't have turbo fuel for a while.
(2) A leak in the fuel system lingers in the nostrils forever. Over time
the diesel atmosphere prevails.
Unknown:
(1) Future price of diesel-turbo vs. high octane.....
Those are my thoughts at present - brickbats or bouquets welcome.
Happy landings,
Ferg #a064
(2) A small leak in the fuel system
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