Lycoming Thunderbolt Engines to Power Red Bull Air Race 2014

Oct. 16, 2013
Each Red Bull Air Race airplane will be powered by a Lycoming Thunderbolt engine, standardized to Red Bull Air Race’s specifications for all 12 pilots participating in the races.

Williamsport, PA – October 16, 2013 – Lycoming Engines, a division of Avco Corporation, is pleased to announce that it has been selected to power the Red Bull Air Race World Championship, which is set to return in February 2014. Each Red Bull Air Race airplane will be powered by a Lycoming Thunderbolt engine, standardized to Red Bull Air Race’s specifications for all 12 pilots participating in the races.

Thunderbolt Engines are Lycoming’s brand of high performance, built-to-order power plants for Experimental aircraft. The creation of a Thunderbolt engine involves the pilot as part of the design team. With Thunderbolt engines, customers get a genuine Lycoming factory engineered, factory built, factory tested and factory supported engine – with your choice of fuel systems, ignition systems, performance enhancements and finishing options.

“We’ve worked closely with Red Bull Air Race to set the engine specifications and build the team’s Thunderbolt engines,” said Jeffrey Schans, Thunderbolt product manager at Lycoming Engines. Red Bull selected Lycoming’s Thunderbolt AEIO-540-EXP, which was specifically chosen to fit Red Bull Air Race’s racing profile, providing both safety and high performance.

“These engines are powerful and impressive, and meet the requirements of this unique customer,” Schans said.

According to Sergio Pla, Red Bull Air Race’s Head of Aviation and Sport, “We chose Lycoming for their well proven product, service, and consistency.”

For more information on Lycoming’s Thunderbolt engines, please contact Jeffrey Schans at +1 (570) 327-7224 or [email protected].

About Lycoming

Lycoming Engines specializes in engineering, manufacture, service and support of piston aircraft engines. Based in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Lycoming piston engines power more than half of the world's general aviation fleet - both rotary-wing and fixed-wing. Lycoming Engines is an operating division of Avco Corporation. More information is available at www.lycoming.com.