There is always interest in new ideas John. I personally was trying to make a diesel "effect" engine by playing around with the fuel flow in the aircraft.cfg but couldn't get the consistency I wanted. Please tell us more!

John_Murphy wrote on Dec 30^th, 2007 at 6:23pm:



Progress Report:  As of 9:30 PM Miami USA time, I was able to get most of the bugs out of the John L Woodward Lake Diesel SeaFury, AND (hopefully) more range from it too.  Bird climbs like a homesick angel, easily topping 25,000 feet while sipping fuel at 8.5 - 9 gph -- Jet A fuel, I might add.  The Maule testbed referred to above is currently restricted to 12,000 feet pending full FAA Certification.  Also, like any diesel, combustion does not require anything but "glow plugs" and a crack of the throttle to start.  Once started, the only way to kill the engine is to stop the flow of fuel.

Although further tweeking is required, look for cut-and-paste partial files and probably a full FS9 Cessna default 172 Diesel with a better 2-d and 3-d instrument panel as my first contribution in a while.  If nothing goes wrong, look for the Cessna 172 Diesel at the end of January, 2008.

JET A WILL RULE PISTON-POWERED GENERAL AVIATION!!!

John Murphy

I know John, I conducted a lot of experiments using the aircraft.cfg trying to make things work the way they should but I couldn't crack it!
I can't wait to see the results of your labours

Brett_Henderson wrote on Jan 9^th, 2008 at 9:55pm:



Brett, I've done it -- TWICE, and the diesel performance corresponds very favorably to the performance figures given in the November 2007 article of PLANE&PILOT entitled Diesel Maule: A Classic Goes Green.  It can be done, and for any piston engine on FS!  I will shortly have at least 2 files to upload, one for a 250 hp Piston Engine, one for a 125-150 hp piston engine.
   NEVER SAY NEVER, Brett!
   Best, John Murphy

I just spent an enjoyable test flight of the Dieselized default Cessna 172.  Bird went from Key West, Fl straight to New Orleans, LA in 4 hours with ~ 9 gallons of Jet A in reserve.  She flies at ~ 100 knots and I had her up to 20,000 feet for most of the flight, and at altitudes of 5,000 feet, the range would probably be a gut-busting 8-10 hours.
   Still have to upgrade guages to Dieselization.
   The cut-and-paste file will be either 100, 150, 250, or 300 hp, but both birds perform up to specs, or as close as I can get them.
    Am working as fast as I can, and as soon as I can, I'll upload the first -- a reworked Cessna 172....
    John Murphy

Brett_Henderson wrote on Jan 12^th, 2008 at 12:00pm:



Brett, just keep it positive and I can take it -- in fact, I wouldn't have it any other way!  Just understand how the Jet A piston diesel works with the Herzog prop and the very limited compromises I had to make using what's available with default FS9 and try not to penalize me for that and I'll be happy.  I don't know how to make the proper guages, but can modify XML files a little.

   BTW, I just looked up the flight characteristics of the default Cessna 172 in the book "Wings of Cessna: Model 120 to the Citation X" by Edward H. Phillips, and the flight parameters I gave the default Avgas Cessna 172 is pretty much on the money, except the airspeed could be between 5 and 15 knots faster.

   I spent 6 years as co-pilot to one of the best former USAAF multi-piston-engine certified Flight Instructor/mechanic I've had the pleasure to knew.  It was an honor calling him my Dad.
    We flew a Cessna 205, sooo I know a little about how piston planes fly, esp. the C205.  Dad used to say that a well ballanced plane - be it a Boeing B-17 or Piper Cub requires little or no trimming if the CG is right, and that altitude in that ideal condition, should require no more that prop pitch and throttle.  I adhere to that when redoing flight characteristics....

John Murphy

Brett_Henderson wrote on Jan 12^th, 2008 at 9:52pm:


Brett, contact me email and I'll send you what I have so far in about a week or 2.  I'd like a chance try a couple of things with the c172 prop.  Diesel's still giving it way too much climb power (unless you only give the bird ~30-40% power).  Plus, need time to write a short primer on dieselization.

   BTW, I'd love to build the plane my Dad and I flew, but can't build radios for it -- the Cessna 205 had Narco Mk VIII nav/com, Narco Mk III Nav 2, Norelco(?) ADF, Narco DME w/2 dials, one for distance from radio, 2nd for optionial ground speed.  No autopilot but we did have a suction-generated wing leveler which replaced the 2-min. turn.  Leveler had functions of ball and 2-min. turn guage, but off the the bottom left was an on-off for wing leveler, plus a knob to give an exact 2-minute turn using ailerons.  I've been able to simulate partial function by adding the FS2K Concorde wing-level button to the auto-pilots, but I fear this won't work in FSX.
   I got the airframe and flight characteristics for the 1961-1970 205/06/10 in fs5 almost perfect (I was even able to get virtual interior w/6 seats, one pilot (co-pilot optional)) without bleedthrough, semi-animated prop, semi-see-thru cabin windows, and cowl flaps that automatically closed and opened - keyed to airspeed -- then Microsoft switched aviation factories on me.... - sigh --
    Haven't matered G-max but still have the AFX File for the old bird.  Oh, well.   Dieselization first....
    John Murphy

John_Murphy wrote on Jan 13^th, 2008 at 11:43pm:



I just emailed...

Those  Narco avionics shouldn't be too hard to replicate.. but a bit time consuming. I've gotten so engrossed by the FSX  VC  , that I don't bother with 2-D panels... and if I were to make Narco Avionics, they would be modeled into the VC. I'm working on modeling the old 'Nav-o-matic' autopilot for the C310 ... I'll explore all the animation/avionics combos available in the Gmax FSX/SDK..

[quote author=swordfish1227 link=1198994181/15#16 date=1202081183]This sounds awesome!

i have used diesels in boats for a long time and they seem like they would be alot better than standard engines in airplanes. the only problem being that they would be heavier. My dad recently put a 6 cylinder deutz turbodiesel in our 24 ft boat...needless to say it could pull a supertanke over an island

I might even have to modify some of the boat addons with these cfg's...


According to my info, the diesels being developed for GA using Jet A, are only between 150 - 200 pounds heavier than their Avgas cousins - and, of course Jet A fuel weighs a little more than Avgas, but the dieselized prototype Maule I read about far outperformed its Avgas cousin, and Maule is planning to beef up the dieselized version's landing gear to take advantage of the increased performance without reducing payload.....

    Unfortunately, I was sick for 2 weeks and everything was postponed....

    John Murphy