Continental Motors has announced a major fleet sale of its CD-135 diesel engine to a Spanish flight school. Aerodynamics Malaga S.L. will retrofit 16 Cessna 172s with the diesel and the first four are headed for the shop immediately. Two of the school’s mechanics have been certified to look after the engines after attending a training course in Germany, and Aerodynamics will become a Continental service center for the diesels. Ken Suda, president of Continental Motors Germany, said the company is “proud” that a major school has opted for the diesel.
“With the Continental CD-100 engine series, Aerodynamics is deliberately opting for a fuel-efficient and easy-to-operate diesel engine that runs on jet fuel,” he said. Continental is claiming a 60-percent reduction in direct operating costs when the reduced burn and lower cost of Jet-A are put together. But a major consideration in the re-engine decision is the availability of avgas. “In Spain, the availability of avgas is only guaranteed in well-populated areas, whereas at smaller airports, avgas has to be ordered three or four days in advance,” said Wolfgang Biereth, head of sales for Continental in Germany.
