Continental Diesel: Over 4.5 Million Flight Hours

April 14, 2015
The annual utilization of each Continental Diesel engine is over 250 hours and is thus nearly three times higher than the overall average in General Aviation.

Friedrichshafen (Germany), 14 April 2015 —The Continental Motors Group Ltd, an AVIC International Holding Corporation company, celebrated the logging of over 4.5 million flight hours with a total of close to 4,500 Continental Diesel engines delivered since start of series production in 2002. As a result, the production figures of Continental Diesel are higher than that of all other manufacturers of diesel aircraft engines in the history of aviation combined. The company has also reported excellent figures regarding the reliability and safety of its engines. Over the last 52 weeks the CD-135 only had 3.31 inflight shut downs per 100,000 flight hours.

“The fuel-efficient, reliable, and environmentally friendly Continental Diesel engines became a success story in a challenging market environment. Since start of production close to 4,500 new  engines of the models Centurion 1.7, CD-135 (both with 99 kW power), CD-155 (with 114 kW power) and CD-230 (with 171 kW) have been manufactured and delivered. The amount of cumulative flight time logged has risen by half a million hours to 4.5 million hours, a figure that shows just how intensively these engines have been operated by Continental’s loyal diesel customers,” said Ken Suda, Director, Continental Motors Group.

High-frequency flyers in particular, such as flying schools, benefit from the Continental Diesel engines, which can run on most aviation jet. Pilots operating aircraft in regions of the world where no leaded aviation gasoline is available also appreciate the fuel-efficient diesel engines. Accordingly, the annual utilization of each Continental Diesel engine is over 250 hours and is thus nearly three times higher than the overall average in General Aviation. As a result, the users of Continental Diesel engines will have reported over 4.5 million cumulated flying hours over the course of maintenance by the end of March 2015.

The CD-100 series engines stand out thanks to their unique level of fuel efficiency and their above-average reliability. According to the FAA statistics, engines used in general aviation experience an average of ten engine failures or “in-flight shutdowns” (IFSDs) in 100,000 flight hours. The shutdown rate of Continental Diesel engines is around 50 percent lower and has been reduced even further since model change from Centurion 1.7 to CD-135. Taking the period since its introduction in 2002 into consideration, the shutdown rate for all Continental Diesel engine models is 4.1 every 100,000 flight hours. For the current bestseller CD-135 (contributing over 3 million flight hours), the rate is even lower, with just 3.31 IFSDs per 100,000 hours that can be definitively attributed to the engine. The CD-135 is therefore proven to be one of the most reliable piston engines in general aviation. Continental Motors is continuously working on improving its products and increasing their reliability.

AVIC International Holding Corporation was set up in 1979, with majority shares owned by Aviation Industries of China (AVIC). Headquartered in Beijing, AVIC International delivered over 147 billion RMB in revenue in 2013. The company has over 70,000 employees across 400 subsidiaries and is located in over 50 countries.  AVIC International is a well-diversified company, with holdings in International Civil Aviation, Trade & Logistics, Retail & High-end Consumables, Real Estate and Hotel Management, Electronics Manufacturing, and Natural Resource Development. More information can be found at www.avic-intl.cn.

Continental Motors Group, Ltd. of Hong Kong, China is a subsidiary of AVIC International Holding Corporation of Beijing, China. Its mission is to provide advanced gasoline and diesel (jet fuel) piston engine products, spare parts, engine and aircraft services, avionics equipment and repairs as well as pilot training for the general aviation marketplace. Continental is an international operation employing approximately 450 team members in Mobile and Baldwin counties, Alabama, USA; 200 team members in St. Egidien, Germany; and 8 team members in Beijing, China. More information can be found at www.continentalmotors.aero.