Centurion at ABIACBIT in Kiew +++ Centurion 2.0 and 2.0s now certified for Ukrainian Cessnas
Lichtenstein, Germany, September 28, 2012 – Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH has received a further Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the installation of its Diesel piston aircraft engines Centurion 2.0 and 2.0s in the Cessna 172. On September 7, 2012, the Ukrainian aviation authority issued the STC to the German company based in Saxony. This means that the Cessna models 172 R and S are now certified. Demo flights with the 155 HP diesel version of the Cessna at clubs and fly-ins in Ukraine and Russia have already met with a positive response. The initially-retrofitted customer aircraft are exhibited by the Centurion distributor Aerojet from September 27 to 30 on the ABIACBIT in Kiew.
The fuel efficient Centurion 2.0 (99 kW) and the power pack Centurion 2.0s (114 kW) are now certified for installation in the Cessna 172. The Cessna 172, also known as “Skyhawk,” is the top-selling light aircraft in general aviation. The worldwide fleet consists of more than 40,000 aircraft. The series which have been certified are Cessna 172 R and S. The Centurion 2.0s is the more powerful version of the well established Centurion 2.0 with its proven fuel efficiency. With an identical weight, it generates additional 20 HP. The Centurion 2.0s and the Cessna form a harmonious team. “Everyone who needs good performance at low consumption is in favour of the Centurion 2.0. Pilots loving top performance will be enthusiastic about the Centurion 2.0s,” says Sebastian Wentzler, speaker at CENTURION.
For the Centurion 2.0s, it was possible to increase the MTOW limit from 1111 kg to 1157 kg. Cruising flight fuel consumption is 24.2 l/h at a speed of 115 KTAS (at 70% power, 6000 ft). The initial climb rate of 798 ft/min at sea level and the shorter takeoff distance of 493m (50 ft obstacle) are a good performance. The range with the 168.8 liter standard tank is 665 NM. Like all aircraft equipped with the Centurion engine also the Cessna has a fully electronic engine and propeller control system with single-lever control.
The first demo flights of the Centurion-Cessna at Ukrainian and Russian clubs and fly-ins have met with a positive response. “Quiet, simple and, above all, very powerful” was the concordant summary of the pilots, who already had the opportunity to fly the Cessna 172. First retrofitted customer aircraft have been sold on the currently running ABIACBIT show in Kiew and previously on the show in Ulyanowsk, Russia. A reason for the demand is low avgas availability in these countries.
In contrast to the competition, Centurion engines were developed under the assumption that they could be integrated with the same weight under existing cowlings. This enables their use in a wide range of aircraft, as well as the technically simple replacement of the Centurion 1.7 with the Centurion 2.0, which can be carried out in all aircraft. Both engines feature above-average reliability. According to data from the FAA, general aviation aircraft experience an average of 10 in-flight shutdowns (IFSD) for every 100,000 flight hours. The shutdown rate of Centurion engines is approximately 50 percent lower and may be even less. For example, in the period since the market launch in 2002, the shutdown rate for all Centurion engine models has been 5.46 shutdowns per 100,000 flight hours. Over the past 52 weeks, the shutdown rate of the currently latest engine model, the Centurion 2.0, was actually only 2.32 IFSD per 100,000 flight hours. This makes it one of the most reliable piston engines in general aviation. As logical technical enhancements, the Centurion 2.0 and 2.0s possess a range of advantages over the 1.7 since they incorporate the entire field experience gained with the predecessor model. The cumulative flight hours of the Centurion fleet increased over the same period to more than three million hours up to now. “With the market launch of the Centurion 1.7 in 2002, we provided the decisive stimulus for the development of alternative propulsion systems for small aircraft. In sum, well over 3,000 Centurion engines have been delivered so far. In many aspects Centurion is and remains number one for diesel aircraft engines for general aviation,” explained Centurion’s speaker Sebastian Wentzler.
