Bushliner Aircraft will be the launch customer for DeltaHawk’s 350-hp DHK6A3550 jet-fuel-powered diesel engine in the Bushliner 1850. The announcement was made late last month after a letter of intent was signed between the two companies. The recently announced six-cylinder engine is based on the FAA-certified four-cylinder heavy fuel engine developed by DeltaHawk. The six-cylinder engine is now under development and will be finished in 2026 with certification to follow in 2027
The 1850 is a purpose-built backcountry aircraft introduced as the Cyclone by St-Just Aircraft in the early 1990s and is being thoroughly modernized in its latest form. It’s a clone of the Cessna Skywagon but with modern materials, and construction giving it a bigger payload and faster cruise. A full glass panel and other modern features are included. “Designed to dominate the backcountry, it combines brute strength with refined control, delivering unmatched payload, STOL performance, and mission flexibility,” the company said in a news release. The company is working on certification.
Both companies say the new, larger DeltaHawk engine is a natural fit especially for operators in remote areas. The engine will run on both Jet A and on No.2 diesel, which is universally available. “While we believe the engine is a great fit for the Bushliner 1850 aircraft in general, the fact that this aircraft serves global markets where Avgas is either unavailable or very expensive offers even greater value,” DeltaHawk CEO Christopher Ruud said in a news release.
Between the 180/200/230 hp 4cyl engine and this new 6 cyl engine, Deltahawk will have an engine able to replace almost all the TCM and Lyc engines needing 100LL. Deltahawk has made several announcements but has provided little in the way of specific details about real life installations. It appears that there are only four DH180A4 engines installed in operating aircraft … their test Cirrus, a velocity twin, and recently a new RV-4 build. Still waiting on the first TCDS revision with some integrated fluid lines (oil?) to replace exterior hoses, and FAA production approval still pending. So lots of questions that you could ask and hoping you are able to get some answers in a deep dive interview soon. Real life experience is badly needed to back up the expectations of reliability and durability,, soft failure modes, fuel economy, high altitude performance, and reduced maintenance. This information needs to be available to buyers so they can realistically balance the high one-time cost up front.
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