Lakeland (FL, USA), 21 April 2015—Continental Motors Group Ltd, an AVIC International Holding Corporation company, announced it has received the validation of its European supplemental type certificate (STC) by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the Piper PA28 family of aircraft powered by the jet fuel diesel cycle engines CD-135 (99 kW, 135 HP) and CD-155 (114 kW, 155 HP).
The STC includes the Piper PA-28 models PA28-140, PA28-150, PA28-151, PA28-161, PA28-161 Warrior II, PA28-161 Warrior III, PA28-161 Cadet, PA28-180 and PA28-181 (Archer III, Archer DX). The FAA validation of the European STC, completed in partnership with Piper Aircraft, Inc., will allow the direct conversion and certification of aircraft to Continental Motors Group’s industry leading diesel power plants in the United States. The uncertainty around both avgas availability and pricing in the United States, along with the advantages of operating around a single fuel within a fleet application makes the use of a diesel powered piston aircraft especially compelling.
“Continental Motors and Piper have been working closely together on this project. We are proud to have achieved our common certification goals that will allow us to bring a great product to market,” said Ken Suda, President of Continental Motors Group’s Technify Motors GmbH division where the CD-100 series is manufactured. “This validation clears the way for Piper, the first OEM to certify its legendary training aircraft with Continental’s efficient, reliable Jet-A or diesel CD-155 engine solution, to meet the needs of flight school, fleet, and recreational users.”
“With this validation, we anticipate the advent of additional exciting things to come for Piper Aircraft. The Archer DX was purposed to allow Piper owners greater access to more economical and readily available fuel sources,” said Piper President and CEO Simon Caldecott. “We look forward to a greater representation of the aviation population enjoying this unique aircraft.”
Powered by the Continental Motors CD-155 diesel engine, the Archer DX cruises at a speed of 115 knots (211 km/h) at 4000 ft while burning only 5.8 gph (22 l/h) of Jet-A fuel vs. 9.5 gph (36 l/h) with the traditional AvGas engine powered version of the aircraft.
The engine, combined with the standard G1000 avionics system, provides the pilot with the latest technology available while reducing his workload through single lever FADEC control. Configured with a special flight school interior, the aircraft is perfectly suited to stand up to the rigors associated with flight training. Further, the Archer DX offers competitive operating economics with a proven airframe that is perfect for flight training organizations worldwide.
