Bombardier introduces something completely new
It's often said that engine development drives airframe development. With two completely new reciprocating airplane engines coming our way we can expect new airframes to follow. It's a bit of a stretch to say that these engines will save the propeller side of general aviation, but there's no doubt that they mark a huge step forward in general aviation powerplant technology.
Bombardier Recreational Products, of Gunskirchen, Austria, and Quebec, Canada, was scheduled to introduce its new engines — a 220-horsepower normally aspirated (V220) model and a 300-horsepower turbocharged (V300T) version — at EAA AirVenture 2003 in July.
The engines are the result of more than eight years of research and development, and incorporate proven technological advances — twenty-first-century engine technologies such as computer-controlled fuel distribution, ignition, propeller rpm, and wastegate controls (on the turbocharged 300-hp model); liquid-cooling; a V-6 configuration; overhead camshafts; and a 3-to-1 reduction gear that lowers propeller takeoff rpm to 2,000. Both engines are capable of producing rated power while burning leaded or unleaded avgas, or unleaded premium-grade auto fuel. An electronic engine management system (EMS), which includes a true single-lever full authority digital engine control (FADEC), constantly manages engine settings, which increases safety by reducing pilot workload.
The EMS is fully compatible with glass cockpits and has an on-board diagnosis (OBD) function that reduces labor and maintenance costs. There's even a provision for changing the tone and timbre of the exhaust sound.
By incorporating features that lessen propeller and exhaust noise, ending the dependency of high-powered light-airplane engines on leaded fuel, and reducing exhaust emissions, Bombardier planners have raised the bar for other engine manufacturers by addressing the growing good-neighbor and environmental concerns that hover on general aviation's horizon.
Bombardier — a lot more than snowmobiles
Many consumers are familiar with Bombardier Recreational Products because of products such as the Ski-Doo snowmobile and Sea-Doo personal watercraft. These machines, although well known, are just a very small part of parent company Bombardier Inc. In 2002, this rapidly growing global company reported gross revenues of more than $23 billion Canadian.
The company is no stranger to aircraft engines. Bombardier builds Rotax airplane engines, the first of which gained an FAA type certificate in 1989. The 80-hp four-cylinder Rotax 912 was installed in the Diamond DA20-A1 airplane when it began production in 1994.
This little engine raised some eyebrows because Rotax sidestepped traditional light-aircraft engines in many ways — the engine had an internal prop reduction gear that reduced the full-power crankshaft rpm of 5,800 to a propeller rpm of 2,550, the cylinder heads were liquid cooled while the barrels were aircooled, there were two constant-velocity-type carburetors, and the ignition system depended on capacitive discharge technology rather than magnetos. Yet after initial teething problems the engine proved to be dependable and required little maintenance.
A conservative initial time between overhauls (TBO) of 1,200 hours, combined with the unfamiliar technology, led a few people to venture an opinion that the engine wouldn't last. This jump to judgment proved erroneous, and because of the good service record the engines have accumulated, the FAA recently granted a whopping 300-hour TBO extension to 1,500 hours. The small opposed-four cylinder family of Rotax engines has been expanded to include more FAA-certified engines — a 100-hp 912S and a 115-hp 914F.
Shortly after the 912 certification and introduction, plans were formulated for the production of bigger engines, such as the 220-hp and 300-hp V-6 engines. An active test-flying program, with a V300T engine installed on a Piper PA-28 airframe, has accumulated more than 121 flight hours.
Yves Le Duc, Bombardier's vice president of aircraft engines, knows that introducing new technology to a hidebound conservative market such as general aviation will be a challenge. "Bombardier has put a lot of time, resources, and money into these engines. We're committed to defining a new era in general aviation," said Le Duc. When asked about Bombardier's plans concerning future engine development, Le Duc replied, "The V-6 is not the end of the story."
Distribution and service
During its initial foray into the general aviation engine market Bombardier learned that customer service is critical to market acceptance, especially when introducing new technologies. "We're going to have everything in place before we introduce engines," said Le Duc. With a projected production and certification date in 2005, Bombardier will soon launch a five-part program designed to help bring the V-6 engines to market. The goals of training maintenance personnel, establishing a parts distribution network, setting up a call center, stationing field maintenance representatives, and setting up an AOG (aircraft on ground) team of experts that will be tasked with providing the same kind of 24/7 customer service expected by turbine engine operators have been given to Luc de Gaspé Beaubien, director of sales, marketing, and service for the V-6 engines. Beaubien has already moved to Florida to start the process.
V220 and V300T
Bombardier cites a number of features that make its new engines unique. A power-to-displacement ratio that beats other existing reciprocating engines is achieved by selecting higher compression ratios (10.8-to-1 for the 220-hp engine and 9-to-1 for the 300-hp engine) for more efficient utilization of fuel energy, developing the power at higher engine rpm (6,000 at takeoff), which translates into more power impulses (or torque) per propeller revolution, and maintaining the optimum fuel flow and ignition timing settings for all ground and flight operating modes.
Engine displacement is the same for both engines — 189 cubic inches with a 3.82-inch bore and a 2.76-inch stroke. The engine block and heads are aluminum and two single chain-driven overhead camshafts actuate the intake and exhaust valves — one on each bank of cylinders.
Unlike earlier aluminum block engines that had to be fitted with steel cylinder liners to provide reasonable cylinder wall wear, Bombardier applies a Nikasil surface coating to each cylinder bore. Nikasil is a process developed by German piston manufacturer Mahle that consists of a uniform coating of hard silicon carbide particles in an electrodeposited nickel coating. This process is nothing new — Porsche started using it in the late 1970s, and it is very similar to the CermiNil process applied by Engine Components Inc. (ECI), of San Antonio, Texas (see " Airframe & Powerplant: Getting Your Nickel's Worth," April 1996 Pilot), to its Titan brand of cylinders. RAM Aircraft, of Waco, Texas, a shop with a reputation for seeking out the best technology for its engines, sends new TCM cylinders to ECI for this coating.
The six cylinders are in a V-configuration with the cylinders' bores separated by a 120-degree angle. Opposing piston-connecting rods (one from the left bank and one from the right) are paired on pin-type crankshaft journals to reduce crankshaft and engine length. The combination of the 120-degree V-configuration, closely aligned opposing cylinder bores, and the overlapping power impulses per propeller revolution results in a very smooth engine. Bombardier says that engine smoothness reduces airframe and avionics wear, and enhances safety by reducing pilot fatigue. A torsion bar is integrated into the prop reduction gear assembly to further dampen vibrations. In the event of a prop strike, the torsion bar acts as a shock absorber to prevent damage to the engine. Damage caused by a prop strike is limited to the propeller and the torsion bar. A similar engine protection feature is incorporated in the 912- and 914-series engines.
Because of the long valve covers and the propeller reduction-gear housing, the engines look larger than comparably powered existing engines; however, measurements show they're actually smaller by a few inches. The compact design allows airframe builders to create more streamlined cowlings. Photos of the engine show a liquid-cooling-system radiator positioned below the propeller shaft.
The cooling system uses three gallons of automotive-type antifreeze diluted 50 percent. Piping the coolant into small radiators (heater cores) in the airplane cabin improves cabin heating and puts an end to the potential for deadly carbon monoxide poisoning that exists with today's cabin heating and defrosting systems. An engine-mounted oil cooler/coolant heater unit helps get the engine up to optimum operating temperatures as quickly as possible. According to Bombardier, the engine can be safely started, without preheating, in temperatures as low as minus 25 degrees Celsius (minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit).
The brain — an engine management system
A dual-lane engine control unit (ECU) constantly reacts to feedback sensors before selecting operating settings such as ignition timing, fuel flow (by controlling injector opening duration), wastegate position, and propeller speed. There is one push-pull engine control between the instrument panel and the engine, and it connects to a "throttle" on the ECU/EMS. ECU/EMS software complies with DO-78 B aviation software development standards and FAA Advisory Circular 33-28. The ECU has data buses for feeding glass-cockpit displays. The ECU permits maintenance facilities to incorporate Bombardier-mandated engine operating software changes in the field, and to troubleshoot engine problems via an on board diagnostic system. This means maintenance and troubleshooting costs will be reduced. Most mechanics will be happy to trade in their set of cylinder base wrenches for a diagnostic computer.
The PPIA
Klemens Dolzer, the director of the V220 and V300T engine program, said, "The engines have been developed from a firewall-forward concept." Engines will be sold as a powerplant pack integrated assembly (PPIA) that bolts directly to the airframe firewall. Bombardier is negotiating with airframe manufacturers with the goal of introducing its new engines through the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) market. The engine also will be available for the homebuilt market. Supplemental type certificates (STCs) to install the new engines in existing aircraft will be "selectively" evaluated.
When asked about the cost of an overhaul, Dolzer said that the engine will redefine the term overhaul because he honestly believes that the block would never be opened for maintenance in the field.
The V300T is turbocharged and intercooled. The turbocharger wastegate is positioned by an electric motor commanded by the ECU. Maximum turbocharged manifold pressure is reported to be approximately 40 inches of manifold pressure. A spring-opposed "pop-off" valve automatically opens to protect engine systems in the event of an ECU or wastegate motor malfunction.
Each engine comes equipped with three alternators, with an option for a fourth. Two of the alternators are inside the engine — and are designed to provide primary and backup sources of electrical power for the ECU/EMS. A third alternator and the optional fourth are 24-volt, 75-ampere units for supplying airframe needs such as avionics, lighting, and landing gear and flap actuators. Each engine also is equipped with an air-conditioning compressor.
Low-tension ignition system and automotive spark plugs
According to Bombardier, the V220 and V300T will have a low-tension ignition system. This is a departure from the high-tension magneto systems used on today's engines. The main characteristic of a low-tension system is that each spark plug has an individual coil located within a few inches of the plugs. A low-energy pulse from the ECU triggers each coil. This arrangement, which was used on large radial reciprocating engines, reduces energy loss between the coil and the spark plug, and cuts down on the possibility that radio frequency interference (RFI) will compromise the performance of sensitive avionics systems.
Platinum-tipped automotive spark plugs and off-the-shelf automotive engine oil will be approved for use. And to hear Le Duc tell it, these engines are just the beginning of Bombardier's general aviation engine plans. "We are committed to this industry, and we have the perfect engine for glass cockpits and for future environmental concerns," said Le Duc at an advance press conference in May.
Because of an integrated dry sump oil system the engines can be configured for vertical installation on helicopters, but are not designed for aerobatic flight.
No information was released regarding time-between-overhaul (TBO) periods, nor was a price specified beyond the statement that it would be a "market-priced engine."
The engine is configured to accept common propeller setups. Based on noise-limiting solutions from parts of the world that have more restrictive noise regulations than currently exist in the United States, it's likely that three- and four-blade propellers will be the propellers of choice.
The Bombardier V220 and V300T are a few years away from production. The company has the expertise and the financial backing to pull this off. Introducing new technology to general aviation, and gaining FAA approval for the type design and production of the technology, is always a huge undertaking. Based on the reception enjoyed by New Age airframe companies such as Cirrus, Adam, and Lancair, the twenty-first-century technology in the Bombardier engines will be well received by pilots and airframe manufacturers who have been waiting a long time for an engine that is as easy to manage, as maintenance free, and as tractable as the engine in their automobile.
For more information on the Bombardier V220 and V300T engines, visit the Web site ( www.bombardieraircraftengine.com or www.vaircraftengines.com).
E-mail the author at [email protected].
