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DeltaHawk Fleet Grows
With the addition of a Cessna 337, the DeltaHawk Fleet of
aircraft grows
to three; The Lycoming-powered Velocity owned by DeltaHawk Chief
Engineer Doug Doers, the DeltaHawk-powered Velocity owned by
DeltaHawk co-founder JP Brooks and now the 337 owned by Dean May,
one of DeltaHawk's investors.
FAA certification requires a number of high altitude tests
that the
Velocity is not suitable for. Our new (to us) 337 will be outfitted with a
pair of DeltaHawk engines for that work.
We have moved the main files from
the FTP site to Rapidshare....
Here are the URLs to access:
http://rapidshare.com/files/72663906/DH160A4.zip
http://rapidshare.com/files/72663326/exhaust_system.zip
http://rapidshare.com/files/72664663/turbo.zip
http://rapidshare.com/files/57017648/Solid_V4_Engine_IGES.zip
http://rapidshare.com/files/57017650/Solid_V4_Engine_STEP.zip
DeltaHawk Engines attended AirVenture
in Oshkosh, WI July 23-29, 2007
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DeltaHawk displayed an upright engine in Booth D-4154 and the
test Velocity and an inverted engine in Booths 1 & 2 in the
Main Aircraft Display Area at AirVenture.
Dennis Webb, General Manager, gave a presentation at the
Forums on Monday, July 23rd on using Jet-A in the DeltaHawk
diesel engines. |
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Glenda, who with husband Dean is building a Velocity, helped
out in the booth.
We had the Velocity (N211JP) with the DeltaHawk engine and an
Inverted engine on a stand at the outside booth.
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DeltaHawk Engines attended Sun 'N Fun
in
Lakeland, FL April 17-23, 2007
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DeltaHawk displayed an upright
engine in Booth LD-6 at Sun 'N Fun.
This was on Club House Row across the street from the OX-5
Clubhouse.
We gave presentations at the Forums on
Tuesday and Wednesday, April 17-18th on the 180 and 200 hp DeltaHawk
diesel engines. |
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DeltaHawk trip to LoPresti meeting in Vero Beach
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DeltaHawk was pleased to be invited to
LoPresti Speed Merchants in Vero Beach, Florida, earlier
this month for "First Saturday". (1/6/2007) Founded by the
late Roy LoPresti, a true aviation icon for nearly fifty
years, LoPresti Aviation is widely recognized as a market
leader in performance enhancing solutions for General and
Corporate aircraft.
LoPresti's First Saturday events are becoming increasingly
popular among aviation aficionados of all stripes.
The informal gathering of pilots and others was an
opportunity to "talk diesel" with the group, and to talk
diesel cowlings and performance with the pros at LoPresti. We
hope to turn those discussions into creative collaboration in
the future. |
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January, 2007.
We frequently
receive questions about insuring aircraft with DeltaHawk
engines. With permission from Jeff Rasmussen, our agent
from Johnson Aviation Insurance, we can tell you that our
Velocity is insured by Johnson. They have expressed an
interest in assisting any experimental builders or general
aviation flyers with their current insurance needs as well
as their requirements when repowering with a DeltaHawk.
See them at
http://www.johnsonins.com/aviation/default.htm or
contact them at 800-477-IFLY (4359)
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Left-Hand/Reverse Rotation Engine
12/11/06 Initial run of the
DeltaHawk Left-Hand/Reverse Rotation engine model
December, 2006.
On Monday,
December 11, DeltaHawk ran a left-hand turning (Reverse
Rotation) engine for the first time. The engine was run
through a series of tests throughout the week and
performed flawlessly. With this first set of tests
complete, the engine is now being shipped to a development
customer for integration into his vehicle and further
testing.
The DeltaHawk
engine was designed to easily accommodate reverse rotation
with only minimal parts changes. This first reverse
rotation engine build proved that design concept.
Most aircraft
engine applications utilize right-hand turning engines.
The most common use of a reverse turning engines is in
twin-engine aircraft, where counter-rotating props adds
very desirable performance and handling characteristics.
In addition, some helicopter applications require the use
of reverse rotation engines to avoid complicated gear
systems.
Reverse rotation
engines are available options for all engine variants,
including upright, inverted, and vertical shaft engines,
and in all horsepower classes. DeltaHawk is pleased to be
able to offer this option to our customers.
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October, 2006.
DeltaHawk is preparing a site for the FAA Certification
program ground tests that will be conducted in 2007. One
of the challenges for the company over the years has been obtaining a
location in the region at which a prop dyno can be
operated safely for extended periods without noise concerns. A suitable site has now been
arranged and the pre-winter site preparation work is
underway so that final construction can begin in the spring as soon as weather
permits.
September, 2006.
DeltaHawk’s transition into production is continuing – a
major and often challenging process, as anyone with
product development experience is aware. Among the
many transition tasks, some of the most critical and
time-consuming are:
·
upgrading
all drawings and specifications to ASME and FAA standards,
·
getting all
engine components manufactured by our new production
supplier chain, and then
·
testing
those components and assemblies.
Those key tasks are still
in process, and will continue to be for a number of
months. Over the years our enthusiasm has resulted
in some unrealistic schedule predictions for R&D progress
and production availability. We know we have lots of
good company in this failing, but that doesn’t make us (or
those anxiously awaiting their engines) any happier.
We remain committed to completing the job and delivering
an exciting new engine that will meet or exceed the
expectations of all who have waited. The aviation
diesel engine revolution is beginning. As we have
always planned, DeltaHawk will be the first U.S.
company leading the way.
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Endurance Testing
see Current Activities for story
Dick Keller, one of DeltaHawk's volunteers,
in front of
our new cooling towers. Dick has been monitoring endurance
test runs. He
flies a Beech Baron to work at DeltaHawk. |
Christina Liepins, A & P, who joined the DeltaHawk
team in 2005, in front of the two 500 gallon water tanks for
the Dynamometer test cell. |
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DeltaHawk at AirVenture 2006
Graeme Smith, DeltaHawk
Australian distributor with Doug Doers (on right), DeltaHawk
Chief Engineer.
Australian Sales
info@deltadieselengines.com
Web Site
http://www.deltadieselengines.com
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DeltaHawk at AirVenture 2006
DeltaHawk
will be at AirVenture 2006 in Oshkosh again this year. We will
be in our usual spot in Building D, Booth 4154 by the West
door. We will also have an outdoor booth, No. 1 & 2, just
West of Building D where we will display our test Velocity
which recently returned from Lakeland, Florida where it flew
and was displayed at Sun ‘N Fun in April.
While it
was down there, the Velocity stopped by Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical University Eagle Works to be examined by the
staff and students. We will also have an inverted engine on
display at the outdoor booth on an engine stand supported by
the prop flange. Builders who bring templates of their cowling
will be able to fit it around the engine to see how the
DeltaHawk diesel would fit in their airframe.
We are
still testing the 200hp model. We won't have them ready to
release until the end of this year. We can't put performance
data on the web site until we complete the full suite of
tests. We have a lot of people waiting on that information so
we will get it out as soon as it is ready.
We are
currently doing a 300 hour test of the 160hp and 180hp models on the
Dynamometer. We just finished installing two huge (to me)
cooling towers; one to handle the heat from the water brake on
the Dyno and the other to handle all of the engine heat.
(Previously, we
could only run for an hour or two on the Dyno before the three 500
gallon tanks of cooling water became heat saturated. So we
had to remedy that.) That test will be reported when it is
completed.
We just
finished testing on the trailer with a metal constant-speed
prop. We are expecting approval for flight testing soon. The
tests on the trailer went very well. Approval, when we get it,
will be big news for the web site.
For
anyone who needs to see the DeltaHawk fly or run, there will
be an opportunity to visit the DeltaHawk Engines facility on
the grounds of John Batten Airport in Racine, Wisconsin after
the show. The Velocity will be flown back to Racine on
Sunday, July 30th after 3 PM. Anyone visiting our
facility at that time will be able to see it fly in to John
Batten. We also have a test trailer with an inverted engine
that can be fired up for those interested. Our endurance
engine is on the Dynamometer running almost constantly so that
will be available too. We need advance notice from visitors
because the airport grounds are security controlled. Just
call us at (262) 634-9660 or email Dennis Webb at
dennis@deltahawkengines.com.
We have
AirVenture in Oshkosh in 4 days so we are in
"nose-to-the-grindstone" mode around here. We look forward to
meeting our “friends, family and fans” at the show.
MADE
IN THE USA
Lakeland,
FL - April 4-10, 2006 - The theme of DeltaHawk's
appearance at this year's Sun 'N Fun airshow was
"MADE IN THE USA". Almost every single
person who walked up asked "Where is this engine
made?" The answer of course is: USA,
specifically, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
More
to come........
See "The Sun 'N Fun Story"
(Large Page)
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The DeltaHawk-powered Velocity has recently
been in Daytona Beach where DeltaHawk Engines has been in
discussion with officials of Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical University about several projects.
MT Propellers approved for use
with 180
hp DeltaHawk Engines
Racine,
WI - 24 March 2006 We have recently received
approval from MT Propellers to use their constant-speed
props on Velocity aircraft using the 180hp DeltaHawk diesel engine for
propulsion. From the Propeller Vibration Test run by
MT Propellers on the DeltaHawk DH180V4 installation:
"No operational limitation has to be established
above 1850RPM. The propeller must not be operated
continuously at maximum manifold pressure below
1850RPM."
Testing
of all models of DeltaHawk engines with several brands of
prop will continue.
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Winter testing with MEL, GMC motorhome - Mobile Engine Laboratory
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Photos
of Flight with MT Propeller (caution - large page)
DeltaHawk
Velocity Flies with MT Propeller
Oshkosh,
11 November 2005 Almost as exciting as First
Flight, the DeltaHawk crew was very happy to fly with an
MT propeller for the first time today.
At 1600 RPM, we burned 2.3 gph of Jet-A at
3500 feet MSL and 105 knots TAS
At 2320 RPM, we burned 11.0 gph of Jet-A at
9500 feet MSL and 195 knots TAS
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2005 In Review - We have been busy this year!
We have engine mockups for
designing new products in Alaska, Australia, Canada, Chile,
England, Germany and Utah.
We have running engines being
tested by OEMs in Australia, California, Florida, New
Hampshire, and New Zealand.
We have supplied show engines
to our distributors in Australia and Germany and for a
presentation by a potential OEM customer in Pennsylvania.
Doug and Diane Doers presented
DeltaHawk at the UVS meeting in
Paris last June.
DeltaHawk exhibited at
AirVenture in Oshkosh last July and we plan to exhibit at both
Sun N Fun in Lakeland, Florida and AirVenture in 2006.
The first pre-production engines
rolled off the line at Kurt Manufacturing in Minneapolis in
August and are being sent to OEM customers for testing in
their new products.
We purchased and have started
using M.E.L. our Mobile Engine
Laboratory, a vintage GMC motorhome that has really taken
the bite out of winter endurance testing.
We flew with the MT
prop for the first time and have made all of our test
flights since November with it.
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Endurance Testing
A DeltaHawk
commercial customer has successfully completed 100 hours of
cyclical ground testing with a hydraulic constant speed prop.
The engine was operated on the customer’s propeller
dynamometer and exceeded the advertised power output.
In the course
of testing, the engine was accidentally operated without
coolant for 15 minutes, including 3 minutes at full rated
horsepower. A post test teardown and inspection showed no
internal damage, and the engine was reassembled with the
original parts and returned to service. The customer will
continue testing to accumulate 250 hours of test time.
DeltaHawk
Engines in Pre-Production
Oshkosh, 25 July 2005 Patience and persistence have finally come
together to reward the visionaries. The first lot of
pre-production DeltaHawk short blocks rolled off of the
assembly line at KURT Manufacturing in Minneapolis the
week before the opening of Oshkosh. This initial delivery
was completed during the course of AirVenture 2005. Final assembly of
the engines is now taking place at DeltaHawk’s Racine,
Wisconsin facility. The initial full production run at
KURT will be started in the November/December time frame
2005.
Once in full
production the Racine operation will be entirely dedicated
to improvements to the V4 engine series and research and
development for new engines, including the 300 to 450
horsepower V8 and final test of the V4 series engines.
All manufacturing, assembly and final testing will be
transferred to KURT Manufacturing in Minneapolis. Racine will remain the
headquarters for Sales, Marketing and Product Support as
well as R&D.
The owners, shareholders and employees of DeltaHawk wish to thank
our many customers, supporters and fans for their loyal
support for the last nearly 9 years. You have all been
central to the ultimate success of DeltaHawk now
illustrated by crates of shiny, new, precision-built
engines stacked in our shop in Racine.
In particular, we wish to thank our initial customers for these
first two batches of engines who, in addition to their
patience and support, backed up their commitments with
deposits. Our pledge to you is to provide the best
product and product support possible.
OSHKOSH 2005
The Beginning of the Beginning
AirVenture 2005 proved to be a watershed event for DeltaHawk. In
addition to the top story of serial production, we had the
honor of recognition by many aviation suppliers and vendors as
a company and a product that have arrived. Questions about
our long term survival have all but disappeared and have been
replaced by expressions of confidence and a desire to be a
part of the DeltaHawk success story.
Development relationships with experimental and certificated OEM
companies and defense contractors are moving ahead rapidly.
Previously reticent suppliers now see advantage in helping
DeltaHawk satisfy their customers’ needs with new DeltaHawk
products. There are still some bumps in the road but the
major obstacles have been overcome and momentum is building.
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DeltaHawk Presentation in Paris
DeltaHawk Engines, represented by Doug and Diane Doers, was
a participant and presenter in the UAV 2005 Conference
organized by UVS International in Paris, France on June 7-10.
The UAV 2005 conference featured 55 speakers from 16 countries
and 7 international organizations, and was attended by 201
delegates from 25 countries. DeltaHawk was the only engine
company present, and response from other delegates both for
current and possible new engine models was enthusiastic.
The conference was considered an enormous success by the
organizers, who particularly noted the following:
"A historic event took place at the UAV 2005 conference
[...]. In presentations given by Alex Hendriks (chairman of
the Eurocontrol Air Navigation Team), Yves Morier (assistant
director [of] certification at the European Aviation Safety
Agency - EASA) and Nicholas Sabatini (Associate Administrator
for Aviation Safety at the Federal Aviation Administration) at
this international conference, the representatives of the
world's three foremost regulatory authorities jointly declared
that their organisations acknowledged that unmanned aerial
vehicles (UAV) or unmanned aircraft systems are not only here
to stay, but are indeed the future of aviation."
DeltaHawk will be a key part of that future, in both manned
and unmanned aircraft.
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Astounding Fuel Economy
of DeltaHawk Engine Proven
In Comparison Flight
Testing!
Racine, 11
May 2005: From the beginning a major
advantage of the DeltaHawk engine was expected to be a
significant improvement in fuel economy and range compared
with the gasoline engines currently used by Experimental and
General Aviation. Until now these claims have been based on
engineering assumptions and educated guesses.
Over the last
two months a series of flight tests using nearly identical
Velocity airframes has gathered fuel consumption data at
various altitudes and airspeeds. One of the test aircraft is
powered by a DeltaHawk DH160V4 Heavy Fuel engine (burning
Jet-A) and the other by a Lycoming* IO-360 burning 100LL
aviation gasoline. Both Aircraft are turning identical
Aymar-Demuth fixed pitch props. Various comparison
charts resulting from the testing are posted following this
article. However, to cut to the chase and point out
just one amazing statistic – at 145 KTAS and 11,500 feet
MSL the DeltaHawk is burning only 3.81 GPH or more than 36%
LESS fuel than the IO-360. This by itself is Huge
News, but examination of the full range of data gathered
shows similarly favorable results in all flight regimes.
To head off
the nay sayers at the pass we offer the following explanation
– Yes, the IO-360 was leaned in accordance with
accepted practice and NO, the data is not corrected for
standard conditions, BUT the pressures during the
11,500 foot flights were within .25 in Hg and the temperatures
within 3° C of each other. Correction to standard conditions
will not dramatically alter the results.
The bottom line is that a DeltaHawk engine can
be expected to decrease fuel consumption of a gasoline powered
airframe by 30 to 40%, while increasing range almost 60%.
Below are
images of the test aircraft and the resultant data for all to
see. DeltaHawk is now happy to put its mouth where its
performance is.
Identical
Velocity aircraft used for in-flight fuel consumption tests.
New comparison data is ALSO on the
Performance page.
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FLIGHT PERFORMANCE CURVES
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DeltaHawk Joins UVS
International
DeltaHawk Engines LLC is now a corporate
member of UVS International (Unmanned Vehicles Systems
International), an association of 216 corporate &
institutional members in 32 countries. UVS International is
the leading international organization dedicated to the
promotion of unmanned vehicle systems. UVS International's
principal website ( www.uvs-international.org)
supplies information on the association, its members &
activities, its past and upcoming conferences, and posts
corporate member company literature and brochures or
datasheets on their products & services.
DeltaHawk
a Hit in Australia
Delta
Diesel Engines was one of the exhibitors at the Australian
International Airshow 2005 held at Avalon Airport in Victoria
Australia.
A great
deal of interest was shown in the new diesel engine -
specifically designed for aviation use. These engines are a
state of the art design taking aviation into the future.
http://www.deltadieselengines.com/avalon.htm
DeltaHawk Engine on Display at
AERO 2005 in Friedrichshafen, Germany
DeltaHawk
Engines – Europe will be exhibiting a DH160V4 static display
engine at AERO 2005. The show started on Thursday, 21 April
and closed on Sunday, 24 April. AERO 2005 is the largest trade
show in Europe devoted primarily to General and Sport
aviation. This will be DeltaHawk’s first public exposure to
the European aviation community.
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| DeltaHawk Show News! |
| Modular Inverted DeltaHawk Installation on Display at OSHKOSH |
| Racine, WI 26 July
2004: DeltaHawk and a Development Partner have completed a
Modular concept Firewall to Prop installation for tractor type
aircraft. The Experimental installation was developed and
ground tested on a Cessna C-172. |
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Simplicity, reliability and exceptional ease of installation were the primary objectives
of the project and they were met with flying colors. Essentially, almost all components of the fuel,
lubrication and cooling systems are attached to the engine mount. This design leaves a modest number of engine to
airframe interfaces to complete the installation. The system will dramatically reduce the time required
to have a DeltaHawk powered aircraft up and flying.
DeltaHawk and its partners will develop Firewall to Prop kits for most popular tractor and pusher homebuilt
aircraft. It is anticipated that the same system can be utilized for STCs for popular certified airframes
once the engine is certified.
The C-172 test engine is installed on a firewall display and can be seen and examined
at booth 222 in the
aircraft display area at AirVenture 2004. |
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| TRIAL
PRE-PRODUCTION ENGINE TESTED |
On Thursday, 15 July 2004, the first
DeltaHawk DH160A4 (inverted) engine assembled from parts built
mostly by production suppliers roared to life in Racine, Wisconsin. This
is the latest milestone in DeltaHawk's march to commercial production later this year. The
test engine was built with parts produced by Kurt Manufacturing, DeltaHawk's aerospace manufacturing
partner. This engine is among the last engines to be assembled and tested by DeltaHawk before engine production
is permanently transferred to Kurt's state of the art facilities in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Dynamometer testing and break-in were performed at DeltaHawk's R&D
complex on John H. Batten Airport in Racine. This initial test run of the
first inverted engine with a purpose-built block was flawless. The hour-long
run consisted of continuous operation at various loads for break-in and
at full load to establish the engine's rated output. All performance and
system objectives were met during the test.
The engine has been delivered to a development partner for installation in a proof of concept airframe. A
second DH160A4 engine will begin endurance testing in mid-July. |
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| EAA Members Visit DeltaHawk |
| Racine, WI 13 May, 2004. |
Some 17 members of EAA chapter 414 of Grayslake, Illinois and chapter 217
located in Kenosha, Wisconsin toured DeltaHawk’s Research and Development
facilities at John H. Batten Airport on Thursday evening. The visit started
on a high note as they witnessed a demonstration flight of the Company’s
DeltaHawk powered Velocity test aircraft piloted by Chief Engineer, Doug
Doers. After landing, the group enjoyed a Q & A session with Doug touching
primarily on the performance and flight characteristics of the engine.
The Velocity was a valuable aid in discussion of the variety of installation
and configuration options the DeltaHawk engine offers.
The role of engine test equipment and data processing systems in engine design and development
was explained by Doug and illustrated with actual test data.
A display table graced with most of the parts in a DeltaHawk engine was a testament to the
engine’s simplicity and captured the group’s attention. Doug gave a brief description of the
design concepts and functional testing that went into most of the major components. Flight
critical parts and redundancies were an important part of the exchange. The consensus of
the group seemed to be that heavy fuel engines such as DeltaHawk loomed large in the future
of General and Experimental Aviation.
We would like to thank the members of chapter 414 and 217 for taking the time to visit us and
we invite other chapters to contact us for similar tours.
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| Members of EAA Chapters 414 and 217 visit DeltaHawk Facility |
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| Testing new prop on the ramp at Batten Airport before taking
trailer to lake front for more long term testing. |
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| Panoramic view of main hanger at the DeltaHawk facility at Batten Airport in Racine, Wisconsin USA |
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March 21, 2004: Testing and Development Report: Work
has been proceeding on four fronts.
One, with the aircraft, has been to continue to explore the flight envelope and cold weather
starting procedures. Results in these tests have been reported elsewhere, and are good.
A second, with the ground test trailer, has been to stress the engine to and beyond its limits,
to find out what breaks and thus to continue strengthening the design beyond the minimum
required level. On a recent 6+ hour over-redline run, the non-aviation propeller on the test
trailer failed. Inspection revealed that the prop had not been of the requested spec, and
its replacement is on its way. While the resulting forces broke some accessory mounts,
the engine itself came through the experience with no significant damage.
The third front has been to expand the selection of propellers available for use beyond the
fixed pitch glass-wrapped wood propeller that has been successfully used in flight testing. In
December, we ran vibration tests with a metal propeller, which was anticipated to be a worst-case
system. Those tests identified the need to make some adjustments in order to accept that class of
propeller. Those modifications are underway and should be in test within the next two months.
Meanwhile, we will proceed to confirm the expected suitability of composite props such as MT and Aero Composite.
The fourth front is in development of firewall forward
packages for some of the most numerous aircraft. |
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| NEW Digital Imagery and Technical Information for Builders NOW AVAILABLE! |
| Create Your Own DeltaHawk Virtual Engine Installation |
| Using CAD Models of the Upright and Inverted Engines you can install a virtual engine in your virtual airframe to answer the burning question of, “will it fit?” Schematic diagrams of Cooling, Lubrication and Fuel systems indicate what might be used in a typical installation. Dimensioned drawings showing engine mount locations and engine center of gravity are provided for the drafting board set as well. A chart is posted showing equipment and components that might be suitable for a typical DeltaHawk engine installation. The information is posted on an FTP site that permits downloading large electronic files. Instructions for accessing the
FTP site are spelled out on the
For Builders (2 of 2) page. |
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DELTAHAWK engines to be built by Kurt Manufacturing Company
DeltaHawk Engines LLC finalized an agreement with Kurt Manufacturing Company (www.kurt.com), a nationally recognized leader in the manufacture of close tolerance, precision-machined parts and components for aerospace and other industries. The agreement joins the advanced technology of DeltaHawk Engines and the proven manufacturing capabilities of |
| Bill Kuban, President of Kurt Manufacturing - Diane Doers,
President of DeltaHawk - Steve Carlsen, Exec Vice Pres. Kurt |
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Kurt Manufacturing, a combination bringing DeltaHawk customers advanced
design engines built to the highest technical standards. Kurt has been
manufacturing some parts for current DeltaHawk engines since October 2003,
and will assume complete manufacturing and assembly responsibility. Kurt's experience and expertise are expected to facilitate the FAA
certification process for DeltaHawk.
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High Altitude Test
Racine, On 17 Feb 2004, N211JP was flown to 17,990 feet MSL with a Baron
as chase aircraft. The primary purpose of the flight was to determine engine
critical altitude, but due to the limitations of the fixed pitch propeller (66 x
82 Aymar-Demuth), we were unable to load the engine sufficiently at altitude to
generate full power without exceeding engine rpm redline. |
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18,000 Foot MSL Team: Frank Fonk, observer; Jerry Baker,
chase pilot; Doug Doers, test pilot |
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Since manifold
pressure was still 56” Hg even with a reduced power setting, we expect to have
100% power available at 18,000 feet MSL. A constant speed propeller should be
installed by the end of April that may allow us to complete the critical
altitude test. Testing at altitudes higher than 18,000 feet will be done once
the aircraft is IFR certified.
An engine shutdown and restart test was conducted at 12,500’ with no problem. We will continue to
raise the shutdown / restart altitude in subsequent flights. Pilot observation: A very frisky
aircraft all the way to 18,000’. With a constant speed prop, should have a nearly constant
climb rate all the way up. See the test flight graphs in PDF format.
Altitude Chart -
Fuel Flow Chart. You will need Adobe Reader |
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Unassisted Cold Start Test Successful
Racine, February 4, 2004: DeltaHawk’s Velocity test aircraft was used to determine the
cold start capability of The DH160V4 engine. The plane was taken from a 50° F hangar and
parked on the ramp for 4 hours exposed to a 20° F ambient temperature and a 5-7 knot
wind. No pre-heat or other starting aids were used prior to, or during the |
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exposure period. The engine started and ran smoothly after half a
dozen 2-3 second starter engagements.
Previous to this we have started it on the ramp immediately after removing from
the hanger at a temperature of zero Fahrenheit. Engine block temperature was 50° F. |
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 DeltaHawk Story presented to SAE Milwaukee Section at EAA Chapter 838
SAE Milwaukee Section members were treated to a up-close and personal look at DeltaHawk Engines
LLC on January 15, 2004. Since the meeting was being held at the
Museum of EAA Chapter 838 which is across
the airport from the DeltaHawk facilities, we brought our test trailer and DeltaHawk-powered Velocity
as well as a display table full of parts. Doug Doers, DeltaHawk Chief Engineer, spoke to members about our program. |
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 DeltaHawk Story presented to SAE Milwaukee Section at EAA Chapter 838
After the dinner, talk and viewing of our First Flight video, Doug fired up the DeltaHawk on the
Velocity so they could hear the real thing. Outside temperature was 10 degrees F. The aircraft
on the right in the photo is the Glasair 1 RG of Ernie "Skip" Gdisis, the 1989
Sun & Fun Grand Champion and 1990 Oshkosh Grand Champion. It is being prepared to accept
a DeltaHawk DH200A4. |
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 American Champion to Test DeltaHawk Engine
An agreement reached between Jerry Mehlhaff, President of American Champion
Aircraft (ACA), and Diane Doers, President of DeltaHawk Engines LLC, will
lead to the installation of a DeltaHawk DH160A4 turbo-diesel in an ACA
Explorer airframe. The aircraft will be tested
and flown as an Experimental pending DeltaHawk’s FAA
type certification. |
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 TEST FLIGHT
Racine, WI USA John Batten Airport 9 October 2003 Test flights continue. Yesterday, October 8, we
completed DeltaHawk's 26th test flight. With engines running on the dynamometer and test
trailer, we are accumulating hours. Our Beta partners also have engines to develop their
DeltaHawk powered products. |
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 TESTING
Racine, 19 September 2003: Taking advantage of a run of beautiful weather,
DeltaHawk's summer intern, Anish, monitors a test run down by the shore
of Lake Michigan. In an effort to avoid disturbing our neighbors at John
Batten Airport in Racine, Wisconsin, DeltaHawk has moved our long-term
endurance testing to the grounds of an under-utilized industrial facility
where we can run as much as we want to. In addition to flight testing and
running on our own dynamometer, DeltaHawk is racking up hours on this test
trailer with a 66x74 Sterba prop. Shortly, we will be dispatching an engine
to a independent testing facility in Virginia for more long-term testing
in a controlled environment. |
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September 22, 2003:
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DeltaHawk's® first U.S. patent has been approved. Issue date 09/23/03. |
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DeltaHawk is featured in a segment of NASA-TV about AirVenture 2003. |
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 DeltaHawk Story Presented to AHS
On 12 November, Doug Doers gave a presentation to the Los Angeles chapter of the American Helicopter Society. The DeltaHawk program was the featured item of the chapters regular monthly meeting attended by 50 industry representatives. As Chief Engineer of DeltaHawk since its founding Doug was able to give a unique perspective to the history of the engines design, development and testing. In a 40 minute prepared presentation he gave a candid look at the pitfalls and pinnacles the company encountered along the way to success. He pointed out the many advantages the DeltaHawk Heavy Fuel Power System offers in rotary wing as well as fixed wing aircraft. Power density, fuel type and versatile engine orientations were noted as particular advantages for rotary wing applications The formal program was followed by a lively exchange between the audience and Doug during a Q & A session lasting more than an hour. Following the program attendees expressed their excitement that the engines were fast approaching market introduction. |
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BACK IN BUSINESS !
Racine, 1 Sept 2003: Soon after the Oshkosh Air show our endurance and flight testing program
suffered an unexpected setback. Our extended runtimes were getting to be too much for our very
tolerant and understanding neighbors at the airport. A number of sound barriers were tried with
limited success and we were forced to accept that we would have to find an alternate site for
our endurance and control testing. A byproduct of this was the cessation of flight testing. Our
endurance engine is the control article for the flight engine and our rules require that time
on the control engine be considerably ahead of the flight engine. We launched a priority program
to rebuild our static test trailer to be completely autonomous including a new, fully portable
data acquisition system, and located several suitable off-airport test sites. We also took the
opportunity to revise the test aircraft cooling systems for improved performance and
maintenance-friendliness. All is now ready for the resumption of endurance testing following the
Labor Day break, and flight testing will recommence soon after. |
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July 25, 2003: Inverted DeltaHawk Engine Runs! A video of
the inverted engine's initial test run will be shown at Oshkosh! You have all been asking "when
will the inverted engine be ready?" Well... its time is now!
July 13, 2003: Getting ready for Oshkosh DeltaHawk will be in our usual booth #4154 in
Building D on the South West side of the ramp. DeltaHawk will have the First Flight Velocity at
the Velocity booth. We will have videos of First Flight and the Inverted Run.
July 8, 2003: Test Program Updates (continuing) Our First Flight on May 3, 2003, while
exciting and momentous, is just one mid-point step in the DeltaHawk Test Program. Throughout 2003,
test and validation work will continue in DeltaHawk company test cells, the DeltaHawk-powered
Velocity, and installations developed by our Beta Test Partners. From time to time, we'll post
here updates from the ongoing test program.
Items of interest from flight testing include:
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2.5 gallons of fuel consumed for the first flight
of a total 59 minutes run time (warm-up & taxi 21 minutes, 38 minutes in flight including
climbs to 5,500 ft MSL, cruise at 140 knots). |
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Subsequent flight testing: |
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Performed flight at an ambient temperature of 85
degrees Fahrenheit to confirm adequacy of oil and coolant cooling systems. |
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Observed sustained climb rate of 1,600 ft per
minute at 2,000 ft MSL. |
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Demonstrated engine restart capability at 2,200 feet. |
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Cruise at 176 knots TAS at 14,700 ft MSL (May 26 flight).
Engine still making 100% power. |
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June 2nd: After 12 flights, the N211JP flight program
was paused for a planned wing painting and engine teardown & inspection. Expected resumption
around July 14th. |
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Racine, WI USA - May 2003: DeltaHawk made aviation history Saturday, May 3, 2003 at John H. Batten Field in Racine, Wisconsin. A Velocity RG powered by DeltaHawk’s DH160V4 diesel engine lifted off for an initial flight. Flown by DeltaHawk Chief Engineer, Doug Doers, the aircraft orbited Batten Airport at speeds up to 140 knots and reached an altitude of 5500 feet (Has since reached 176 Knots and 14,700 feet). The engine is the only U.S. designed and developed reciprocating engine capable of burning Jet fuel that is known to be flying.
DeltaHawk’s management, investors and employees wish to thank all of those who remained committed to our concept for their support and encouragement during the long road to today’s achievement. The company is dedicated to assuring safe, reliable and cost effective power for aviation and Industry throughout the world. |
Short video (40K) of First Flight takeoff
Longer video (100K) of First Flight takeoff
(Get Windows Media Player) |
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