Piper Aircraft and Continental have secured an EASA supplemental type certificate (STC) to fit diesel engines to the PA-28 Archer DX.
Powered by the C2.0's diesel engine, the Archer can cruise at a speed of 115 ktas at 4000 ft with only 5.8 gph (22 l/h) fuel burn.
“This milestone development by Piper and Continental represents a continuation of Piper’s strategy to provide multiple fuel solutions for our customers,” said Piper President and CEO Simon Caldecott. “This is the next step in ensuring that future Piper owners and operators have access to more economical and readily available fuel supplies, especially in Europe where traditional leaded avgas is hard to find and expensive.”
"Working together, Continental and Piper Aircraft have taken the next step in proving the viability of the C2.0s diesel powered Piper Archer,” said Technify Motors GmbH Managing Director and President Ken Suda. “We look forward to the adoption of this product as a standard for efficiency and economy in the flight training market,” he went on to say.
Ground and flight tests on the Piper Archer, using the C2.0s, a 155 horsepower Jet-A compression ignition engine, were conducted by the companies from TMG’s airport facility at Altenburg, Germany. The C2.0s engine is certified to use both Jet-A and diesel fuel or with the two fuels in any mixture ratio.
The company has a long history with Piper aircraft. The first aircraft to fly with the Centurion engine was a Piper Warrior that obtained certification in 2001.