Experimenter is a magazine created by EAA for people who build airplanes. We will report on amateur-built aircraft as well as ultralights and other light aircraft.
Issue link: http://experimenter.epubxp.com/i/108002
Un d e r t h e C o w l Franco Lambertini (lef) and Edi Razzano (right) during the Italian fy-in in Ozzano, June 2012 when the I.C.P. engine was still secret. proprietary chain-tension (length) monitoring system of the DOHC drive chain. The M09 was developed specifically for aircraft and has redundant (double) electric/electronic systems, twin spark plugs per cylinder, generators, ignitions, and fuel pumps. To achieve good fuel economy, the M09 is using electronic fuel injection like all modern engines. Because the M09 was born as an aircraft engine, in case of the malfunction of the primary engine controller there is another secondary low-pressure backup fuel mixture delivery system. During normal operation a high-pressure electrical pump delivers fuel to the fuel injectors that are ECU driven; if this system fails, the patented secondary low-pressure mixturecreating system (not fuel injected), will keep the engine running. This secondary mechanical "low-tech" system is kept alive by a mechanical fuel pump. The M09 will not stop running even if the engine is completely disconnected from the main electrical system and from the board battery. By the way, the crank-driven generator has a single rotor; but the electric current is induced in a three-phase stator where single coils are physically separated, so we can say it's a single generator body but with multiple independentcurrent production units. Each generator phase has its own current regulator. 28 Vol.2 N o.2 / February 2 013 According to Razzano, the first engine tests on a dyno were a big surprise; the engine was expected to deliver 110 hp, but in reality it delivered 135 hp. What an uncommon "problem" for the manufacturer! Now the engine is being tested on the dyno and a fine-tuning process is in development. First flight of the engine is expected in April 2013. The commercial product name and the price are not yet known, but it is my guess that the price for the 120-hp version will be around U.S. $15,000. First preproduction units are likely to be delivered by the end of 2013. The engine is still in the final development phase, and final data on aspects such as power output, rpm, and consumption are still to be defined. I.C.P. is one of the major Italian manufacturers of European UL airplanes that are sold around the world. Its portfolio consists of three high-wing aircraft that are Zenith CH 701–like called the Bingo, Savannah (five versions), and Vimana. Recently ICP and Zenair reached an agreement to produce and market the popular CH 650 in Italy for the European market under the name of CH 650Ei. I.C.P. is already present in the United States through I.C.P. Aviation North America LLC which showcased the Savannah high-wing LSA airplane at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2012. Photography by Marino Boric