HAMBURG,
Germany,
November 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The core product
of Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH, the Centurion 1.7 diesel aircraft engine,
will now be installed in brand-new Cessna 172 Skyhawk aircraft. Van Bortel
Aircraft, Inc. from Arlington, USA will be responsible for replacing the
conventional engines. Van Bortel will then sell the diesel Cessnas worldwide.
As the world's largest Cessna reseller, Van Bortel will be supported in its
activities by Cessna Aircraft Company (
Wichita, USA). Van Bortel is currently
presenting its new product at the AOPA Convention in Palm Springs, USA. The
cooperation will give general aviation pilots a further opportunity to
purchase a brand-new aircraft with state-of-the-art, fuel-efficient and
easy-to-operate diesel engine technology. Thielert has been offering retrofit
kits for older Cessna 172 for the past three years.
At the AOPA in Palms Springs the world's largest Cessna reseller Van
Bortel Aircraft, Inc. announced that starting from now brand-new Cessna 172
Skyhawks would be equipped with the Centurion 1.7 piston aircraft engines. To
this end the conventional, air-cooled gasoline engine will be replaced by a
state-of-the art Centurion 1.7 diesel engine that can also run on the
standard aviation fuel kerosene. As of now, customers can therefore purchase
the Cessna 172, the world's most frequently sold aircraft, with a kerosene
engine and thereby become less dependent on conventional aviation gasoline,
the availability of which is declining dramatically worldwide. Equipped with
the latest technology such a single lever control, the engine also features a
constant speed propeller, full authority digital engine control (FADEC) as
well as a turbo charger for improved performance at high altitudes.
"We are proud of our cooperation with the world's largest Cessna
reseller," says Frank Thielert, Managing director of Thielert Aircraft
Engines GmbH. "The installation of our Centurion engine in brand-new Cessna
Skyhawks presents buyers with yet another chance to switch over to the new
generation of diesel-powered aircraft."
Van Bortel has already put the first retrofitted Skyhawks into operation
and uses them for demo flights. "We are amazed at how little fuel the
Centurion engines use compared to the 180-bhp avgas engines," explains Howard
G. van Bortel, president of Van Bortel Aircraft, Inc. "We are highly
impressed by the quality and engineering of both the Centurion engine and the
retrofit kits. Up to now no Skyhawk has been able to climb to 12,000 feet so
quickly." Jasper M. Wolffson, Head of Sales and Service at Thielert, is also
very enthusiastic about the cooperation: "The cooperation with Van Bortel
Aircraft is opening up new sales channels for Thielert as well as further
opportunities in the general aviation market."
In addition to considerable fuel savings, the Centurion engines offer a
host of other technical benefits:
- Qualitative mixture control: Only the desired amount of fuel is
injected - the engine always operates at the optimal mixture. By design, a
diesel engine cannot be destroyed by lean run.
- Self Sparking: No danger of uncontrolled detonation, since fuel is not
introduced until the optimal moment of combustion.
- Jet fuel piston engines are extremely robust. As a result of their
combustion process, the peak combustion chamber pressure is extremely high
event at partial load. As opposed to a gasoline engine, the jet fuel engine
is designed for continuous high stress, making it suitable for aviation
applications.
Ticker symbol Bloomberg: T3C GY (XETRA)
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About Thielert AG and Superior Air Parts, Inc.
The Thielert group, founded in 1989, is the world's leading provider of
certified kerosene/diesel jet fuel piston aircraft engines for General
Aviation. As a certified development, production and maintenance company to
the aviation industry, Thielert became the world's first company to obtain
certification for a jet fuel piston engine. The jet fuel engines of the
CENTURION series reduce direct flying costs by up to 60 percent compared with
conventional piston aircraft engines. For more than sixteen years, the
company has also been developing and manufacturing components for
high-performance engines in addition to digital engine control systems. For
automotive engineering, defence technology and the aviation industry, it
develops manufacturing strategies for engine components and complete engine
adaptations. For the 2005 business year, Thielert recorded consolidated net
sales of 37.6 million euros (2004: 24.2 million euros) and an EBITDA of 16.1
million euros (2004: 11.3 million euros). Thielert AG has been listed in the
Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since 17 November 2005. The
company was admitted to the SDAX index on 1 March 2006. In March 2006,
Thielert AG acquired the American aviation components manufacturer Superior
Air Parts, Inc with Parts Manufacturer Approval. The company was founded in
1967 and its headquarters are located in Coppell near Dallas, Texas, USA.
Superior has a fully developed sales and service network in the USA. Turnover
in 2005 totalled 25.3 million US dollars. The gross margin in the same year
was 28.2 percent (according to US GAAP). Altogether, the Thielert Group has a
workforce of more than 300 at the locations in Liechtenstein/Saxony, Hamburg
and Coppell.
Your contact person:
Sebastian Wentzler
Head of Corporate Communication
Tel.: +49-40-696-95-035
Fax: +49-40-696-95-050
Email: press@thielert.com
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