Anybody know anything about Aviation Grade E85 or the use of Auto E85 in their aircraft?

I've been reading the about the South Dakota State University (SDSU)testing at http://www.age85.org/ProjectDescription.htm but I was wanting to know if anyone has any personal experience with the stuff. Someone can show me a bunch of controlled lab results, but I have a hard time swallowing it without some real world experience.

It was my understanding that there are no FAA approvals yet for this fuel. Is this correct?

If there are stc's, who's doing them?

MTV

The O470 in the 182B is getting a bit of time on it and I called Texas Skyways to discuss a few upgrade options. http://www.txskyways.com/index.php nothing on the site about the E85 but if you call they will give you the hot skinny on it and send you liturature.

They have the stc for 180's and 182's. The auto E85 is not in the STC. I also asked if it was ok to use 85% ethinol in my 182 then how about the ethinol in the California car gas. He said it was not approved but had no good reason.

Tim

Here is a link to the research and a list of current STCs available.

http://www.age85.org/index.htm

Like it or not, ethanol is a reality and is here to stay. I am glad that some one is doing the research.

I think 180Marty is a member here, and he is the closest to an expert that I know of. (He lives a couple states away from me, instant expert)

Bill

Tim-

I still think this is the hot ticket:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centurion_engine

Not sure when the STC for the 182 is going to be available, but it sure would be neat to run on Jet A, turbocharged.

Flat Country Pilot wrote

I think 180Marty is a member here, and he is the closest to an expert that I know of. (He lives a couple states away from me, instant expert) Wink

Thanks Bill, I haven't actually run AGE 85 in the Cessna but I have been up to Madison SD where Jim Behnken is doing the research on a Mooney,Ag Cat with 600 hp P&W radial,Seneca, and he flew the Texas Skyways 180 Cessna for 500 hours. The 180 and 182 are STC'd to run FAA approved AGE85 using Texas Skyways' O 470UTS engine. The only difference between their regular UTS and ethanol version is bigger jet in the carb and you should have nitrile rubber bladder tanks. Nitrile is what most are made out of now and some old ones were too. One should check what bladders you have as I think I was told some years could have had urethane bladders. When they tore the UTS down after 500 hours it still looked new inside with a light golden color.
Marty

If you get the STC for the aviation E85 and also have the auto gas stc, can you run California pump gas with ethynol in it.

Tim

qmdv wrote

If you get the STC for the aviation E85 and also have the auto gas stc, can you run California pump gas with ethynol in it.

Tim, The UTS is based on the O470U and Texas Skyways winds it up 200 more rpm,adds the 7th stud mod and puts a big oil pump on. The U was the 100LL engine that had higher compression(8.6 to 1 vs.7to1) than the other 470's in 180/182's. While auto E-85 would probably work fine it wouldn't be legal and the Calif. 5 or 10% ethanol auto fuel you're talking about would only be 88 or 89 octane I think. Here in Iowa 87 oct is mixed with 10% ethanol and you have 89 oct.
Marty