On an interesting note, Durban South Africa-based ADEPT Airmotive has recently announced that they have developed the world’s first modern GA engine that runs on a range of fuels. In addition to running on normal unleaded petrol (MOGAS) or standard aviation fuel (AVGAS), the ADEPT 320T engine can also operate on environmentally friendly alternatives like bio fuel or liquid petroleum gas (LPG). Other benefits of the new engine include:
- The ability to produce 320 horsepower.
- The lowest lead, nitrous oxide (NOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and noise levels – setting itself apart from existing technology and setting benchmarks for the GA industry.
- An installed weight of 158 kilograms. Hence, the engine is roughly 30% lighter than traditional piston engines of comparable horsepower.
- Fuel efficiencies of up to 30% better than conventional GA powerplants.
ADEPT is now in discussion with South Africa’s Department of Science and Technology’s (DST) Technology Innovation Agency and Trade and Investment KZN for funding in order to ramp up to full production.
