Russian scientists have created a unique aircraft engine
Scientists Ufa Russia’s first invented multi-fuel aviation engine which has high power density and efficiency.
Hi-Tech Mail.ru talked with the initiator of the project, the founder of open company “the aircraft Engine” Plato Maslov, who told us about the secrets of creating the engine and the prospects of its application.
Meet: DDA-120. It is a kind of hybrid gasoline and diesel engines for ultralight aircraft and helicopters. In the photo below: laboratory prototype of the internal combustion engine for ultralight aircraft on which the tests were conducted. Combustion chamber and fuel system of the laboratory sample is fully consistent with the designed engine. Thus, the sample is completely confirmed the efficiency of the design of the engine and its unique fuel system, leaving behind years of hard work.
Outside of DDA-120 is virtually no different from their peers. As told by Hi-Tech Mail.ru the initiator of the project, fundamental research, implemented in the engine, began in the 80-ies in the Ufa state aviation technical University.
The uniqueness and value
Its uniqueness and difference from the Western counterparts (in Russia small motors are not produced) in high specific power, efficiency and fuel on which it can work: aviation kerosene, gasoline, diesel fuel.
Efficiency and low cost — a key difference from their Western counterparts. Indeed, the engines are ultralight aircraft Rotax or Subaru are very expensive and their price may be more than 80% of the price of the LA, which is about 1.5 million rubles, including delivery. This makes the final cost of the aircraft high and unaffordable for the producer and for the consumer.
The planned market cost of the engine DDA-120 will vary in the region of 300 – 500 thousand rubles.
Unlike other multi-fuel engines (for example, multi-fuel diesels), this engine will be much easier. On engines with spark ignition, working on the aviation kerosene, DDA-120 features reduced fuel consumption.
Prospects and application
By the end of this year planned to complete prototype development and begin to carry out bench tests. The creators believe that in the era of light aircraft the new engine will be in demand.
At the moment analogues of this motor widely used in small aircraft. For example, in Robinson R22 helicopters and planes Cetus 200.
In Russia such engines are still not produced
It is reported that the project was interested in at the stage of the first trials and are already preparing our first orders. Also for financial support to the project exhibited one of the crowdfunding platforms. From the success of the project on the platform depends largely on the date of manufacture of the prototype.
The creators emphasize that today the domestic industry does not produce engines for small aircraft up to 200 HP, which greatly hinders the development of the industry. Perhaps the development of Ufa specialists will radically change the situation.