Engineering Propulsion Systems (EPS) continues to make progress on the development of its clean-sheet Graflight V8 diesel engine for the general aviation market. The phase one flight testing program has now been completed and the company has added staff, production capabilities and new tooling to its facility in New Richmond, Wisconsin.
Built around eight cylinders, the EPS Graflight engine is designed for high performance airplanes running in the 320 to 420 horsepower range. “The progress has been encouraging,” said EPS president Michael Fuchs. “We have a lot of work in front of us, but the early results have confirmed that the ideas and reality are in sync.”
EPS has been testing its engine in a Cirrus SR22 out of Mojave, California, with none other than Dick Rutan at the controls. Fuchs said the phase one flight test program has resulted in some modifications to improve the functionality and efficiency of the engine and phase two is expected to begin soon.
Although the Graflight V-8 weighs about the same as comparable avgas-burning engines, EPS says the efficiency of the engine has the potential to produce a 40 percent fuel savings resulting in either a 50 percent range increase or 40 percent payload increase.
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