Continuing the rapid trend toward diesel power in light airplanes, Continental Motors yesterday launched the V6 CD 300, a 310 horsepower jet-A-burning engine that’s due to hit the market in about two years.
Continental has also dropped the Centurion name from its diesel line, which it acquired as part of its purchase of Thielert in Germany a year ago. Continental will now produce and market the CD 100, CD 200 and CD 300 families of compression-ignition engines under its own brand name.
Continental CEO Rhett Ross said yesterday at Oshkosh that developmental CD 300 engines will be available for evaluations by OEMs ahead of the formal production launch. Like other Thielert-derived engines, the new V6 is based on automotive technology.
Rhett said the CD 300 will have a 2,400-plus hour TBO and maximum 2,300 rpm in flight, which will make for quiet operation. Economy fuel burn, as demonstrated on early flight tests in a Cirrus SR22 in Germany, is under 12 gallons per hour, Continental says.
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