Continental: Over 4,000 Engines Delivered – High Reliability
Friedrichshafen, Germany on April 10, 2014 – As the world market leader for diesel aircraft engines, Continental Motors Group (CMG) achieved further milestones. A total of more than 4,000 new Centurion diesel engines were delivered since start of series production in 2002. As a result, the production figures of Centurion engines are higher than that of all other manufacturers of diesel aircraft engines in the history of aviation combined. The company has also reported excellent figures regarding the reliability and safety of its engines. Over the last 52 weeks the Centurion 2.0 only had 0.61 inflight shut downs per 100,000 flight hours. The amount of cumulative flight time logged has risen by half a million hours to 4 million hours, a figure that shows just how intensively these engines have been operated by Centurion’s loyal customers.
“The fuel-efficient, reliable, and environmentally friendly Centurion diesel engines became a success story in a challenging market environment. Since the start of production, more than 4,000 new engines of the models Centurion 1.7, Centurion 2.0 (both with 99 kW power), and Centurion 2.0s (with 114 kW power) have been manufactured and delivered. A fleet of well over 2,600 aircraft has been equipped with them,” said Ken Suda, Managing Director and President of Technify Motors GmbH. Technify Motors is the German operating unit of Continental Motors Group specialized in diesel propulsion systems like the Centurion.
High-frequency flyers in particular, such as flying schools, benefit from the Centurion engines, which can run on diesel as well as jet fuel which is the standard aviation fuel. Pilots operating aircraft in regions of the world where no leaded aviation gasoline is available also appreciate the fuel-efficient diesel engines. Accordingly, the annual utilization of each Centurion engine is over 250 hours and is thus nearly three times higher than the overall average in General Aviation. As a result, the users of Centurion engines will have reported over 4 million cumulated flying hours over the course of maintenance by the end of March 2014.
The Centurion-series engines stand out thanks to their unique level of fuel efficiency and their above-average reliability. According to the FAA, engines used in general aviation experience an average of ten engine failures or “in-flight shutdowns” (IFSDs) every 100,000 flight hours. The shutdown rate of Centurion engines is around 50 percent lower and has been reduced even further since model change from Centurion 1.7 to Centurion 2.0. Taking the period since its introduction onto the market in 2003 into consideration, the shutdown rate for all Centurion engine models is 4.83 every 100,000 flight hours. In fact, measured over the last 52 weeks, the shutdown rate of the most recent engine model, the Centurion 2.0, has been just 0.61 IFSDs per 100,000 flight hours, thus being the most reliable piston engine for use in general aviation. Naturally, the Centurion 2.0 possesses various advantages over the 1.7 thanks to all of the experience gained from the field with its predecessor which was integrated in the development of the 2.0.
Continental Motors Group is a subsidiary of AVIC International Holding Corporation. Its mission is to provide advanced gasoline and Jet-A engine products, spare parts, engine and aircraft services, and pilot training for the general aviation marketplace. The operating units include Continental Motors, Inc., Technify Motors GmbH, Continental Motors Beijing, Ltd., Mattituck Services, Inc., and Zulu Flight Training, Inc. with major business operations in the US, Germany and China. More information can be found at www.continentalmotors.aero.
Centurion is a leading brand for certified kerosene (diesel) piston aircraft engines for general aviation and has been part of the Continental Motors Group since July 2013. As far back as 2001, the producer of Centurion engines became the first company in the world to receive type certification for its kerosene piston aircraft engines. Centurion pilots have a global network of more than 350 authorized service centers at their disposal. Altogether, the some 4000 plus Centurion engines have been delivered to date successfully completed more than 4 million flight hours. More information can be found at centurion.aero.
