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Paul,
You seem surprised at how commerce and new technology really works! It’s always been this way from the beginning. New technologies -> High prices -> and what’s in it for me? Remember when personal computers first came out? No one could afford them much less know how to operate them.
We are on the brink of new technology and yes, there are still some questions to be answered, and yes some risks, but we really believe this to be the wave of the future especially if the oil companies decide to stop making the volatile 100LL fuel, not to mention EPA standards.
The price is rather high at the moment but we expect that to rapid improve as soon as the engine is certified and we start selling them. Overall interest is very high right now and the pre-orders are coming in for the 182 as well as the TB-20 conversions.
We are looking very carefully at a blanket STC for the 337 series aircraft but were not going to proceed until we see what the prices are going to do, as well as the hard core performance benefits and overall justification of the conversion for Skymasters.
You’re correct; for the most part no one is going to pay $150K for a turbo diesel conversion on an airplane that is only worth less then that amount. However that said, there are exceptions to the rule for commercially operated aircraft that fly a lot and for those applications the math really works well.
I think its worth sitting back and following the evolution over the next several months and I’ll keep everyone posted as to the progress.
Rick Rossner
Tule River Aero-Industries
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