What’s really interesting is the AE330's Power vs Altitude performance. A graph in the link below shows how it compares with a Lyco IO 360. Of course,the 135 HP Turbo Intercooled Rotax 915iS is also just about ready to be offered for sale.

The more builder options the better.

( Post Edit :Ugh...414 lbs weight. ).


Link:
http://austroengine.at/uploads/pdf/mod_products1/AE300_Technical_Data_Sheet.pdf

The AE300 turbo diesel produced by Diamond Aircraft subsidiary Austro Engine GmbH in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, recently achieved a TBO boost, increasing the interval before a recommended overhaul to 1,800 hours.
A fleet total of more than 500,000 flight hours have been accumulated over more than 1,000 AE300 engines in the field. The 168 hp engine sips less than 6 gph at 65 percent power.

Damn Paul, that is a fat turd

I'm just kind of keeping an eye on the diesel stuff. Everybody laughs at it.. and it very well might never become a real (as in actually good) thing in planes.

But, at the same time, diesels in pickups used to be heavy, under powered, noisy, not really that much better economy etc. and now look at them!

I had an 06 Duramax that I built a larger turbo setup for, set it up on top w/ a hood stack... tuned it with my laptop. Ended up tuning a lot of performance diesel and gas stuff over the years and the diesels were more fun. Anyway, threw a few other mods on it, wound it up to 4000rpms to keep the torque from getting to out of control, and it ran mid 12's (4 door, 4x4) at bandimere (5800ft) on pretty largish 285 street tires. Also would get 25 mpg after working with the tuning and keeping it at 65mph. Would start in negative temps... What an amazing machine.... they have come a long way with high pressure ecu controlled (28-30,000 psi max) injection systems for starting and efficiency, spool, smoke reduction etc. Pre-injection to cut down on the noise, Better turbochargers, better everything really. Even lightened some of them up. Seems weight is still the big issue. The pulsier/torquier power can reak havoc on things so they have to be a little beefier to stand it. But who knows, maybe someday it will really get popular.... then again, the way things seem to be going, most likely before that happens, electric stuff will take over.

@ GravityKnight :

You are 100% correct. I originally thought the weight was about 180+ pounds.That was KILOGRAMS...not POUNDS.

My bad. I completely misread it. I thought about deleting the post, but hey....it serves to make you better appreciate lighter engines like the Rotax 9XX series, the Titan 340, and others.

I've also been watching the market and may consider something like a CD-300 when my O-470 gives out in a few years.

On the bad side, they are heavy (562 lbs vs. an O-470 at 380 lbs) and I imagine I'll have a harder time getting one worked on. On the good side, the fuel is cheaper if the math works and it burns less of it.

The one almost intangible benefit that I don't read much about is the relative safety of jet fuel over 100LL. Fire scares me.

So, we'll see...