DIESELIS

Diesel powered prototype aircraft

For a long time and with a few exceptions, light aircraft engines are special gas engine that are powerful and light but very expensive.

On the other side, car engines, built in mass production, take advantage of top-level technical research. Over time, diesel engines have
gained more and more power, thanks to turbochargers and intercoolers, and have become lighter.

The "Dieselis" is a prototype aircraft with a diesel engine that is based at the Brest-Guipavas airport (France). It's an amateur-built two
seater that was specially designed to use this type of engine and to challenge the popular notion that the diesel was "too heavy for an
airplane". It has been built by two members of the Brest flying club, Paul Lucas for design and wood work, and Serge Pennec for the
engine and metal work. The configuration is classic tractor, a low wing monoplane with a front position engine, in order to not take
any risks with the airframe, beyond the difficulties and uncertainties that the engine might pose.

ENGINE TYPE

The engine chosen for this prototype needed to be reasonably powerful ( at least 65 hp) and not too heavy. The European market offers
many choices, particularly in the two liters range. After having considered many engines between 1500 cc and 1900 cc, and
eliminating the heaviest and the least powerful, three possible candidates emerged : Peugeot/Citroen, VW and Opel. Serge choosed the
1.5 l turbo, 67 hp used on the Opel Corsa. A year was needed to ready the engine for the plane and perform static tests, two and a half
years to design and build the airframe. The prototype made its first flight at the end of september 1998, registred as F-PTDI, TDI
signifying Turbo Diesel Injection. Since this date, the Dieselis has flown more than 500 flying hours without a problem. (july 2000)

To achieve this project, there were two essential characteristics to consider : the heavy weight of he engine, and the low amount of
power for a two seater.

WEIGHT
The stripped engine (cast iron block) weighs 105 kg as compared to 60 kg for a Rotax 912 or 75 kg for a typical VW type engine. With
the accessories installed on the engine, the weight goes up to 135 kg which results in an additional 50 kg to the aircraft empty weight.

POWER

The Opel factory technical data for the turbo engine without an intercooler indicates 67 hp at 4600 rpm, and a maximum torque of 123
Nm around 2600 / 2800 rpm. The power curve is that of a typical diesel, very flat at its maximum : the engine produces 63 hp at 3600
rpm, and there are only 4 hp more to be gained in the last 1000 rpm. The intercooler, by cooling the intake air, should augment the
power by 8 -10 %. These DIN figures include the accessories and are thus more stringent than the SAE norm.

WEIGHT/POWER RATIO

This ratio seems unfavorable at first glance: we are dealing with about 2 kg per hp. What is the overall impact of this weight on
performance? To find out, we could make acomparison with a VW conversion engine, weighing 78 kg that produces 76 hp at 2900
rpm, about 1 kg per hp, so at first glance two times better than the diesel.

In flight at 2400 m, the normally aspirated VW loses about 25 % of its power, peaking it at 57 hp. Considering the higher speed and
the smaller diameter of the VW propeller, the larger and less stramlined cowling needed for the VW and its cooling drag, we believe
the performance will be reduced down by another 10 % to 52 hp.Also, because of the drop in propeller efficiency and the lower
performance of the engine, the amount of fuel to take along for the same range is 75 kg instead of 50. All things considered, we come
out with 103 kg for 52 hp, or about 2 kg/hp, same as the diesel.

In the end, the weight/power ratio of the VW isn't better in cruise and at altitude. It wouldn't be the same if this engine was equipped
with a turbo and a reduction drive but its weight (and its price) would go up at the same time.

THE ENGINE

Originally used on the Opel Corsa, it is actually a japanese engine produced by Isuzu, a world leader in diesel engine technology and a
GM partner. The cylinder capacity is1500cc. There is also a 1700 cc version, 82 hp, same weight, on the Astra and Vectra. The block is
cast iron wich explains the heavy weight ot the engine.
To reduce weight, the exhaust manifold was redone in stainless tubing obtained for a farm milk cooler since the original was also cast
iron.

The turbo is the original factory unit. The turbo pressure is limited to 600 g.

A single exhaust pipe is fitted to the turbo outlet. The intercooler ( a radiator to cool the heated air from the turbo exit) has a section of
260 x 100 and is attached to the firewall. The carefully shaped NACA style intercooler intake duct is built into the side of the carbon
fiber cowling and seals against the intercooler periphery. The intercooler exit ramp is integrated into the firewall and fuselage,
conveniently located over the leading edge ot the wing in a low pressure zone.

The engine does not have an air intake filter. Passage through the turbo (thermal and compression exchange) raises the temperature of
the incoming air about 60 in a climb. At the exit of the intercooler, the difference between the outside air is only 20 in a climb, and
only 10 in cruise. The aluminium intake manifold is what is left of a stock part since we've greatly modified the shape, as well as
removing excess weight. Lightweight tubes adjacent to the firewall connect the manifold to the intercooler.

The original starter (5 kg) is fed by a 30 amp-hour battery. For cold engine start conditions a plug-in external battery is utilized. The
engine mount is a cradle type made of 16 and 20 mm high tensile tubing. Four silentblocks are located at crankshaft level below the
propeller centerline.

TRANSMISSION

A custom redrive was designed to reduce the propeller sped and raise the centerline ot the propeller. It is a non-slip cog belt type. An
industriel elastomeric coupling is installed between the lightened flywheel and the redrive. It's principal purpose is to handle any
misalignment between the two assemblies. The belt is a Gates Poly Chain GT, 62 mm wide, 8 mm spacing. The manufacturer
indicates its rating to be as high as 71 hp at 4000 rpm for industrial applications. The custom sprockets are made of hard anodized
aluminium in accordance with Gates tooth profiles. The propeller centerline is 24 cm above the crankshaft. The sprocket assembly
turns in a cage formed by two 8 mm aluminium support plates. These are spaced apart by two 8 mm U channels, press formed plates
which were subsequently machined to maintain paralell conditions. The redrive cage is mounted 5 cm from the engine block by 6
tubular standoffs.

The propeller shaft turns on two bearings in a lengthened support made of machined aluminium.
The propeler flange extends 15 cm in front of the reduction drive to streamline the front of the cowling. The propeller shaft assembly
has provisions to adjust belt tension. The weight of the redrive is 14 kg. The reduction ratio is 48/80, that is 1/1.66 or 60 percent. In
cruise, between 2800/3200 rpm, the propeller turns at less than 1900 rpm, instead of at 2800 rpm, common for a direct drive engine.

COOLING

The coolant radiator is the same as found on the car, 650 x 265 mm size, 17 dcm2 area, quite a large piece to try and fit under the front
cowling. We solved the problem by putting it behind the seats under the rear package shelf, which then permitted us to move back the
CG, but which obligated us to install a "central heating" system in the plane. The total weight of the radiator, hoses, expansion
reservoir and radiator fluid (7.5 liters) is 13 kg. The advantage in having the radiator in the rear is the available space to install a
divergent/convergent ductwork for cooling efficiency and drag reduction. The intake is through a flush NACA inlet under the fuselage
in a positive pressure area. The entry section measures 250 x 65 mm, that is 1.7 dcm2. The exit (like on the P-51 mustang) has a
moveable flap to adjust the airflow and thus the coolant temperature. The adjustable flap makes a 10 difference. Because of the
engine to radiator distance, the thermostat was removed to increase coolant circulation speed.

The water temperature is about 80 during climb, 70 in level flight, and 60 in descent. As on many auto engines, the oil is cooled in
an exchanger, with the water circuit located at the base of the oil filter.

COWLING

The engine cowling is made up of three parts. The bottom part of the cowling is permanently attached to the engine mount. The left
and right upper cowling pieces are hinged together at the upper centerline and attached to the firewall and lower cowling by Dzus
fasteners for quick servicing. The cowling was formed from carbon fiber/epoxy over a male plaster mold shaped appropriatly with the
engine and spinner in place. The cowling weighs 3.3 kg.

The engine compartment is cooled by a scoop under the cowling directed toward the hottest zones which are the intake manifold and
the turbo. The heated air exit is made on top of the cowling (and not under as is so often done, since it is more advantageous to use the
low pressure present during the climb on top of the cowling to help evacuate the heat).

PROPELLER
The relatively large 1.76 m diameter of the propeller is appropriate for the engine's power, thanks to the reduction drive and the
diesel's high torque at low RPMs. The settings for the propeller sections were established for a speed about 170 km/h. The prop was
built of soft wood and composite, four plies of unidirectional carbon fibers were applied with epoxy resin. First, two plies were placed
at +/-30 degrees for torsional stiffness. Two plies were then added at 0 degree for bending strength, resulting in a finished weight of
3.2 kg.

The considerable propeller disk area and the small required power (less than 30 HP during cruise) produce a small prop loading
favorable to efficiency. The narrowness of the engine block permits the streamlining of the cowling behind the propeller. The
performance figures show the efficiency of the propeller to be at least 0.85. The propeller match seems good but the payoff is due to
the torque curve of the diesel (the torque increases when the speed decreases, see curves) which makes this match particularly easy.

The takeoff thrust is pretty high for the power; the rate of climb is 5.0 m/s instead of 2.5 to 3.0 m/s for directly driven planes of
comparable weight and power. Thanks to the lower prop rotation speed there is little noise on the ground or in flight. The 290 mm
diameter spinner is made from carbon/kevlar and weighs 290 grammes.

AERODYNAMICS

To obtain good performance we reduced the drag as much as possible. In the matter of induced drag we took advantage of the fairly
high aspect ratio of the wing (8.5). The intersection of the wing and fuselage was worked to achieve a smooth and low profile. To
further reduce section interference we pushed back the canopy and reclined the seats behind the wing mainspar.

A similar sized certified trainer airplane, the Robin ATL, has major drag producing attributes as compared to Dieselis. The ATL cabin
section is positioned at the thickest part of the wing chord, a definite aerodynamic penalty. Attention was paid to parasitic drag.
Fairings on the wheels and undercarriage were streamlined; all control surfaces had buried control mechanisms. The horizontal
stabilator was positioned for favorable, minimum drag control.

With regard to cooling drag, the speed of the airflow through the radiator is about ten times less than the speed of the plane, which is
desirable to reduce internal cooling drag (large exchange area and slow speed airflow).

We paid close attention to interior airflows through the intercooler, ventilation of the engine compartment and the cabin. These are
drag contributing factors that are often neglected, because they are not "seen."
The engine exhaust leaves under the plane through a streamlined half tunnel that passes below the cabin floor. The exhaust exit is
almost horizontal to recover the thrust of the exhaust, calculated at about 4 percent of the propeller thrust in cruise.

WING LIFT

Even though the main lifting surface was reduced 14 percent compared to the original ATL wing, the Dieselis stall speed is lower, 80
instead of 90 km/h. This is explained by an improvement in wing/fuselage interaction. The ATL wing/fuselage combination is such
that the wing root begins to stall prematurely at about 100 km/h.

FUSELAGE

To balance the weight of the engine the passengers are reclined behind the CG. The wing spars pass under the knees and not under the
thighs, which permits us to lower the height of the fuselage. The fittings for attaching the wing mainspars are under the center console.
The exterior width of the fuselage is 1.14 m, the interior is 113.5 m at elbow height. The seats are fitted between the sides of the
central console (14 cm width) and the lateral structural flanks form elbow rests. Each seat is 41 cm wide.

The seats could have been adjustable but were fixed permanently to the standard size of the two pilots, 1.76 m tall. Heating of the
cabin is accomplished by circulating air around the water and radiator lines. Cabin ventilation consists of an air intake in front of the
canopy, two air vents above the instrument panel and a rear exit high in the back of the canopy.

Construction of the wood fuselage included bonding with epoxy (Axson 755 resin equivalent to Safe-T-Poxy, mixed with flox for the
bonds and with microballons for the fillets and closeouts). The engine compartment is a sandwich of two 2 mm okoume plywood
sheets over a core of 12 mm klegecell foam with mahogany plywood hardpoints to support the metal engine mount brackets. The
firewall is a 0.5 mm stainless steel sheet.

The fuselage sides are okoume plywood, 2.5 mm thick in the front and double layered where the seats are positioned. The seats are of
sandwich construction, two okoume 1.2 mm plywood sheets and 10 mm foam, reinforced by kevlar on the seat. The sides are 1.4 mm
okoume plywood beginning behind the canopy. Spruce and 0.35 density red cedar were used as stringers. Bulkheads of 20 mm
Styrodur foam (similar to 3M Styrofoam) were located every 30 cm. All of the surfaces are simply curved except for the fuselage aft
bottom corners, which is a compound curvature made from a foam cored fiberglass/epoxy laminate. Okoume (a type of mahogany)
wood is sourced from Africa and processed in France into marine grade plywood.
The front floor is box construction. Internal supports tie together in a triangle the lower supports of the engine mount, connecting them
to the central frame where the wings are attached. The fuselage weighs 40 kg.

The 60 liters tank is made from a glass/kevlar epoxy composite male plug layup and weighs 1.8 kg. The canopy is bonded to a tube
frame. The front section of the frame is steel, the rest is aluminum. It's hinged in front, and the lifting is assisted by air springs. The
interior canopy latches are lateral levers ; exterior handles are flush with the fuselage surface.

CG RANGE

The fuel tank is located near the CG so the amount of fuel has little influence on the weight balance. When flown solo, the CG is
forward at 19 percent of the mean aerodynamic chord. With both pilot and copilot on board the CG is at 25 percent of M.A.C. Up to
25 kg of baggage can be loaded on the rear shelf. Aft CG is 30 percent MAC. The rear wheels are aft of the CG. The front wheel
carries less than 10 percent of the weight.

THE WINGS

Of wood and cloth construction the Dieselis wings originally were on an ATL, a similar sized two place aircraft. They were rejected
because of a defect in the leading edge fuel tanks but efficiently served our principal objective of flying the diesel.

The following are some technical specifications of the ATL wing. The NACA 43015 profile is utilized with a 3.2 degree washout. The
root chord is 1.42 m, the wing tip chord is 0.85 m. The span, including the wing tips is 9.34 m and the aspect ratio is 8.5. The main
spar is located at 32 percent of chord. The juncture of the spars is made at the centerline of Dieselis whereas on the ATL they are
attached to the side of the fuselage. This permitted us to reduce the ATL span by 1.10 m and save some weight. The birch plywood ribs
are spaced every 20 cm in front of the wing spar, and every 40 cm behind. The leading edge is covered with okoume plywood. We
kept the original ailerons and flaps which are formed from 0.5 mm aluminum sheet. Since the wing has been shortened at the root, the
flaps are 60 cm shorter. In contrast to the ATL wing, the Dieselis adaptation doesn't have a front sweep, which skews the ribs 7.5
degrees outboard from normal. The total weight of the finished wing is 63 kg. The cloth covering is just glued to the 40 mm ribs caps,
which explains why the VNE of the ATL (and thus that of the Dieselis) is limited to 195 km/h.

STABILATOR
Construction is conventional wood and fabric. The span is 2.88 m for a surface area of 1.80 m2 surface. The lever arm in relation to the
wing is 3.60 m, that is 3.36 times the average of the 1.10 m mean wing chord. The trim tab placed on the trailing edge also serves as
an anti-servo tab, because it pivots automatically in the same direction as the stabilator, working with the pressure on the control stick.
Controlled by pushrod and cable, its travel ranges from 14 degrees in climb to 8 degrees in descent. For trim control an electric motor
and endless screw is activated by a lever on the tab command rod, fuselage side. The stabilator utilizes a counterweight inside the
fuselage for static balance.

VERTICAL SURFACES

The vertical fin is made by two spars attached to the fuselage bulkheads, the ribs are foam and the covering is 1.2 mm okoume
plywood. The rudder is cloth covered with its horn inside the fuselage and is accessible through the removeable tail cone.

LANDING GEAR

The main gear is custom made from pre-preg carbon fiber, vacuum bagged at 160 to a bow shape. The average thickness is 20 mm
and the total weight is 5.8 kg. The landing gear legs are thin and profiled, with fairings at the fuselage and wheels. The landing gear is
attached to the sides of the fuselage by straps machined from aluminium, the front attachment is made at the same level as the spars.
320 x 120 Rallye tires are mounted on 4 inch aluminum rims. Both hydraulic 140 mm disc brakes are controlled by a single lever at
the left cockpit side wall. Wheel pants are made form bidirectional glass/ kevlar epoxy on foam.

The front gear is a telescoping 30 x 2 steel tube strut. Landing loads are handled by elastic blocks integrated into the tube, providing
about 6 cm of travel. Steering control is via a small rod attached to the rudder pedals through the firewall. The front wheel measures
270 x 80.

FLIGHT CONTROLS

Dieselis has full dual controls-stick, throttle and pedals. The elevator and rudder cables pass through the central console and over the
radiator placed under the rear shelf. The control arm for the elevator is at the back, and the linkage tube to the rudder under the
stabilator. The pedals are not adjustable; they are very light. The whole assembly is made from 10 mm tubes and weighs 650 gr. The
rudder is actuated by 3.5 mm kevlar cables.
Ailerons are actuated by cables and tubes. The flaps are controlled by tubes inside the fuselage, the attachment to the flap being buried
within the wing-fuselage junction (tubes and levers are on the outside of the ATL). These tubes are activated by an aluminum torsion
tube that passes under the seats with a control lever that runs along the console.

The instruments are VFR, with turbo pressure and indicators for the temperatures of the exhaust, water and oil. The total weight of the
instruments is 3.1 kg. A portable com radio and a GPS are carried aboard.

WEIGHT REDUCTION

It was necessary to make up for the extra weight of the engine somewhere, about 50 kg more than a typical VW conversion or 65 kg
more than that of a Rotax 912. The elimination of extra weight was undertaken from the beginning of the construction in a systematic
way :

. Grinding down unnecessary engine surfaces, systematic lightening of metal pieces

Very light fuselage construction, okoume and spruce plywood, very thin composite layup

Landing gear, engine cowling, and prop spinner made from carbon fiber

Tanks and wheel fairings made from kevlarl/epoxy

Wing connections and fasteners made from titanium

At the end, the plane weighed in at 355 kg (345 without the battery). That is 20 kg less than an ATL. We stayed within the weight and
balance parameters projected at the beginning of the project.

SPECIFICATIONS

Takeoff speed is at 3600 rpm. Max power utilized in climb is 68 hp. In level flight 3850 rpm has not been exceeded to stay below the
VNE. In cruise, the engine runs between 2800 and 3200 rpm, which produces 26 to 35 hp, that is about half the available horsepower.
In contrast to a gas engine, a diesel really isn't designed to turn at high speed, but rather takes full advantage of the torque curve.
Slow speed is 1100 rpm, 660 rpm at the propeller. Thanks to the high compression of the diesel when the engine is slowed, the
propeller aerodynamic braking reduces the L/D ratio to 12.8 instead of 16. A temperature sensor mounted close to the cylinder
indicates 700 in climb and 300 450 in level flight. lndicated turbo pressure is 500 600 gr in climb and 150 300 gr in cruise.

The stock engine without turbo can be found in France for 21.000 francs. Plentiful used engines run between 6.000 and 12.000 francs.
They can be found for even less if they require significant work. Our engine was put together from two engines and cost us even less.
The redrive cost was about 8.000 francs total ; for reference the two sprockets cost 1.800 francs, the belt 800 francs and the two shafts
2.500 francs.

Specifications Engine

Wingspan 30.6 ft. type turbo diesel

Wing cord (avg.) 3.60 ft. make Isuzu 1.5 litre
Wing area 110 sq. ft. power 68 hp @ 3600 rpm
Aspect ratio 8.5 speed reduction unit 1.66 : 1
Length 31.8 ft. propeller 69.3 in. diameter
wood and carbon fiber
Weights and loadings Performance

Empty weight 782 lb. Takeoff ground roll 500 ft

Useful load 468 lb. Rate of climb 1000 ftm
Gross weight 1250 lb. Cruise speed 97 kts, 7.5 litre/h
Wing loading 11.4 lb./sq.ft. Economy speed 86 kts, 6.0 litre/h
Power loading 18.6 lb./hp Stall speed (flaps) 41 kts
Fuel capacity 60 litres Maximum cruise speed 118 kts at 80 FL

DIESEL CHARACTERISTICS

No spark ignition: no magnetos, no spark plug

Injection pump (no carburetor) : no icing risk

. Turbocharger : no loss of power at altitude, automatic air/fuel regulation

Low fuel consumption : an excellent range with a single tank

Reduced fuel flammability

Elevated torque at mid-range speeds, that is nice for a fixed pitch propeller

Simplification of flying : no magneto to choose, no tank selector, no electric pump to activate, no carb heat to watch over, no mix
control to regulate when changing altitude, no variable pitch propeller to change.

FUEL CONSUMPTION : BOY, IS IT CHEAP !

By replacing gasoline with kerosene at 2.50 francs/liter, the hourly cost of fuel for the Dieselis would fall to 15 francs, if this fuel were
well accepted by this type of engine, notably by the injection pump. We would then have an hourly cost four times less than that of the
MC-100 (a popular French two-seater), which can be considered as a point of reference when we talk about reducing aerodynamic
drag. This means that in computing operating costs, the specific fuel efficiency of the engine and the cost of the fuel count a lot more
than the aerodynamic performance of the airframe.
EFFICIENCY

The specific fuel consumption of the gasoline engine is low (186gr/hp/h) up to 3000 rpm. The efficiency of direct injection diesels is
better, about 165 gr/hp/hr. By comparison, the consumption of a Rotax 912 (without mix control or turbo) varies between 215 and 295
gr/hp/h depending on speed setting, according to engineer Michel Colomban's (MC-100 and Cri-Cri designer) calculations. This big
difference explains why the Dieselis, despite the handicap of more aerodynamic drag than the MC-100, doesn't use more fuel at the
same speed (9.5 l/h at 210 km/h at 8000 feet).

SOME INTERESTING COMPARISONS

MC-100 Pulsar ATL Dieselis Long-EZ

Empty weight
kg 215 245 370 355 405
Engine
Rotax 912 Rotax 582 VW Isuzu Lycoming
Horsepower
hp 80 65 60 68 108
Vc
km/h 210 210 150 160 250
Consumption
l/h 10 15 12 6 24
Fuel type
gas gas + oil gas diesel 100 LL
fuel cost
Fr 7.00 8.00 7.00 5.00 7.50
Cost/hour
Fr/h 70 120 84 30 180

The last row of the table presents figures that reflect the appetite of the big cc gas engines. The difference in hourly cost leaves room
to dream...

CONCLUSION

These tests have shown that the diesel engine will power an airplane. The conceptual difficulties linked to the great weight and the low
power of the engine have been surmounted by reducing the weight of the airframe and fittings, by the low drag of the plane, by the
high torque of the engine and the very good performance of the propeller.

Il is paradoxical to note that even though they were not planned for aviation, the diesel engines have those basic qualities essential for
airplane engines : dependability (no spark, no carburetor), safety (fuel with low flammability), power regulation at altitude
(turbocharger), simplicity of use and more range that improves safety.

The typical torque curve of the Diesel also provides many advantages, such as easy prop matching for good climb performances. We
don't really need a variable pitch propeller. The noise level on the outside is low thanks to the large propeller turning at lower speeds
and the quieter diesel exhaust.

A record breaking savings in fuel prices and engine maintenance should be considered.

Engine conversion for a particular design nevertheless needs a good lever of mechanical competence and a well equipped workshop
(lathe, milling machine).

There was a bit of suspense : we had to wait and see how the redrive belt holds up over time. The belt is now 500 hours old, with no
problem (july 2000).