Two of Austria’s key engine development companies, Austro Engine and Steyr Motors, signed a cooperation agreement to develop a 280-hp, six-cylinder aircraft engine. It will be used on two new Diamond Aircraft airplanes.
Austro Engine is developing the engine for the DA50 Magnum (single- engine, five-seat aircraft) and the FSA (Future Small Aircraft) twin-engine private and utility aircraft. Development, certification and production of these programs will take place at Diamond’s Wiener Neustadt facility in Austria.
The development will be based on the Steyr Monoblock Motor M1 diesel engine, featuring an integral crankcase and cylinder head, used in marine and special vehicle applications.
“Following our successes in the marine and special vehicle sectors, we are especially pleased that our M1 concept will now also find applications in aviation,” said Rudolf Streicher, Steyr Motors’ representative.
Christian Dries of Diamond Aircraft said, “With the expansion of our product line, Austro Engine will further solidify its position as a producer of powerful, fuel-efficient and environmentally responsible aviation piston powerplants. The cooperation with Steyr is not only relevant to our Austrian operation, but a further step in our company becoming a market and technology leader.”
Founded in 2007, Austro Engine develops and produces rotary (Wankel) engines and jet-fuel piston aviation engines for civilian and strategic applications. Steyr Motors is the diesel engine specialist that emerged from the former Steyr-Daimler-Puch group. Decades of specialized development experience and production of diesel engines for all types of commercial and military vehicles culminated in the successful development of the Steyr M1 Monoblock engine family.
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