RACINE — The future of aviation is happening now thanks to a new innovative engine built by a Racine company. Even if you don't know anything about planes, you'll be able to appreciate what this engine can do.
The engine is made by DeltaHawk which has been around since 1996. In the 28 years since the company started, they have revolutionized the way the engine is designed. There are multiple aspects that make this engine unique: simple design, fuel efficiency, and fuel types it uses. In short, it's a jet fuel burning engine with diesel technology.
Before getting into the specific configurations, this engine is designed for smaller aircraft like Cessna planes - not commercial cargo jets or passenger planes you'd use to fly across the country.
Simple Design
When designing the engine, DeltaHawk wanted it to be as simple as possible.
"We wanted to make a simple engine that is easy to maintain, that doesn't fail, that lasts a long time," Dennis Webb, the director of certification and marketing at DeltaHawk said.
The engine has about 40% fewer parts than its competitors of similar size and horsepower. Additionally, it has no electronic components. All that makes it easier to install, operate, and maintain.
Fuel
The DeltaHawk engine is about 40% more fuel-efficient than its competitors too.
"Our test aircraft is a Cirrus aircraft. We flew non-stop from here to Jacksonville with an hour reserve. A stock Cirrus would be stopping in Georiga for gas," Webb said.
What's more, the engine is able to use multiple different types of fuel. Typically, smaller planes can only use AVGAS (leaded fuel), a type of fuel that is limited in quantity and can only be found in North America and certain parts of the world. Since it's not readily available, current engines built for AVGAS have a relatively small flying radius. Plus, the engines in those planes aren't globally attractive.
DeltaHawk engines use jet fuel which is found at nearly any commercial airport in the world. Plus, it can operate on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). It's an alternative to fossil fuel that reduces emissions during flight. Webb said that SAFs will be an integral part of aviation's future.
Watch: This Racine company wants to revolutionize the plane engine:
The simple design coupled with the unique fuel qualities makes this a more versatile engine than most that are on the market.
"The main driver of aviation cost is fuel because aircraft burn a fair amount of fuel. And then the other driver is maintenance and longevity. Very simple maintenance, very low maintenance, compared to the competitive engines," Webb said.
Global Interest
The engine is attracting interest from around the world. Given its versatility and environmentally friendly design, DeltaHawk's product has become more attractive than the status quo engine. Both NASA and the Department of Defense have expressed interest.
“We can use this for general aviation. We can use this for the Defense Department where our biggest competitor is owned by the Chinese government. And in doing that we have a solution that can play in a lot of different areas with the newest technology," Christopher Ruud, the CEO of DeltaHawk, said.
Watch the video to see what DeltaHawk engines look like...
These engines could be used in drones, driverless helicopter taxis, and even power generators. After all, engines are just power generators. DeltaHawk sees its product as both a game changer for the aviation industry and the power supply industry.
"We thought that DeltaHawk was a good investment because the industry has not done the investment. The existing players kind of have not spent the money to make the power plant within aviation and other things 21st century, and we thought we had the opportunity to do it," Ruud said.
DeltaHawk does have competitors. They aren't the only ones trying to disrupt the industry. However, they believe their product stands out from the others.
"(Our competitors) took automotive diesel engines and then converted them for aviation. So you've got the complexity of the automotive engine, and then you got to add some to make it FAA certified, and then you need to add some to make it compatible with propellers, and everything else. So the fact that we are a clean sheet aviation engine designed from the getgo designed for aviation makes us unique," Webb said.
Looking Ahead
These engines are just about ready to hit the global market. Webb said they have many pre-orders. DeltaHawk expects the first deliveries to be in 2025.
“We’re going to put Racine on the map from an aerospace perspective, and that’s a guarantee," Webb said.
The impact will be felt around the world and locally. DeltaHawk expects to create about 100 jobs over the next three years as production increases.
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