Sun 'n Fun 2009: Lycoming IE2 Electronic Engine Update

[ChgoSTrider]

With an aircraft engine, the most important thing is reliability. If a car engine fails, it is inconvenient, an airplane and people die. A car company can spend many $Ms on this because they will sell millions of engines. The aircraft engine makers are lucky if they sell 200 new engines a year. Most of their money comes from overhaul and parts. To really get fuel efficiency they need to go to liquid cooling. But why? Less than 2000 planes a year are built.

[cw8jwh]

@ChgoSTrider Are you an aircraft mechanic, or aeronautical engineer? How much heavier is a liquid-cooled engine versus one that isn't, given the same performance characteristics? How much better does a non-liquid cooled engine perform, over a liquid-cooled engine, without the liquid cooling operating? And where will the radiator go, in the same spot as the oil ( or even hydraulic ) cooler, or a new spot entirely? And so on and so forth......

[Tony7777M]

Carbizindio: You are right about the technology lag in the aviation industry.

This engine should have been available years ago,but you have a captive audience and massive prices to maintain any aviation engine as compared to any common fuel injected automotive engine today which goes for about $2,000.00

You are way off on the price though.The IE2 will be selling for well over $100,000 for the 350 horse version..Where do they get these prices from????

[CarBizIndio]

It blows my mind that the government would give these idiots so much money to design an engine that has less technology then a $500 motor in a 10 year old car. I'm guessing that this greedy corporation will end up selling this already out dated engine for $50,000+. I will never buy a plane with a Lycoming engine.

[rossor6ridr]

Only 9k views and added over a year ago, whats wrong here? And seriously why has it taken so long for an aircraft engine to become smart. Chrysler had crude "electronic fuel injection" in the late 50's!

[kooldude0788]

@rossor6ridr - its all about reliability. The more simple and basic it is the less things to go wrong. I'd rather have a simple engine in the air..

[rossor6ridr]

@kooldude0788 I would trust 6 electronic injectors over a carb any day. How often does a mechanical mag fail vs electronic ignition? An efficient engine is a safe engine. But hey that's just one mans opinion I'm no engineer "if it ain't broke don't fix it", isn't always right.

[johnsenkenn]

Listen to this guy he is proud of having got money from the state. People don't have any shame in their life, they let them be bribed by their own money.

[MarkSDCA]

Great news. And now just make something to compete with the 912 Rotax.

[cw8jwh]

@MarkSDCA Take a look at ULPower's engines. Lighter than Rotax and natively fuel-injected as well as FADEC-controlled. I think they're MUCH better than Rotax.

[mattyflyhi]

ie2 cant wait

[MetaView7]

Avgas 100LL is dead

when is the JetA engine?

[cw8jwh]

@MetaView7 If you look around you'll find some pretty good contenders. DeltaHawk for one. Don't forget that 100VLL and Swift fuel and nearing approval, if not achieving it already.

[timkiwi]

great news, 20 years late but still great

[rokkdinface]

This sounds like a stupid question, but is Lycoming from the county? Because I have been up and down that entire county and have never seen this.

[mcjon77]

Yes. Lycoming is an American company. They are owned by Textron, the same company that owns Cessna. Lycoming is based in Pennsylvania

[rokkdinface]

Thanks.