Signature Aircraft Engineering’s Oxford facility has been appointed an international distributor for the 230 horse power diesel cycle powerplant. A spokesperson said: “Selected by several OEMs such as Britten Norman, Maule and Cirrus, the new engine promises to deliver massive savings in operating costs through the use of Jet A1 instead of conventional Avgas.”

Approved initially for retrofit into TB20s and Cessna 182 aircraft, the SMA engine was designed from the outset for aviation, rather than being derived from an automotive model.

The company claims that SMA equipped aircraft will also benefit from improved range and performance, single lever control, electronic engine monitoring and digital engine diagnostics.

“Backed by EADS, SNACMA and Renault, the SMA product is the first credible reciprocating Jet A1 engine to be available to the GA industry developed from the outset for such applications,” said

the spokesperson.

Plans to offer models to satisfy 180-300 hp requirements are afoot for both the OEM and retrofit markets.