Lycoming General Manager, Michael Kraft, announced yesterday that development of the IE2 FADEC system has reached the point where Lancair, which is the first customer for the TEO-540, 350-horsepower engine, can begin taking orders for the firewall-forward package. According to Lancair personnel, the engine/FADEC package price is $115,000, plus, of course, the rest of the Evolution kit.
Kraft said that the IE2 platform will continue to grow in applications, and that the decision to start with the high-power 350-hp engine was quite intentional. It’s expected that IE2 will migrate down to lesser powered and non-turbocharged engines in the future, but that off-the-shelf systems for hombuilders are unlikely. “IE2 is a highly integrated system,” he said.
Kraft also reiterated his stand on future fuels, saying that the only solution was a true 100-octane fuel. “I’ve spoken up about the fuels issue before, and I think it’s time that the OEs [original equipment manufacturers] take an active voice.” Kraft feels that technologies like IE2 are part of the solution, but in order to keep the rest of the market viable, a fuel that cannot be run in existing aircraft without modification would be economically disastrous.
Lycoming also announced the IO-233 LSA engine, a lower-weight, 100-hp version of the O-235. The initial iteration will have an updraft carburetor, but all will have a simplified electronic ignition system using self-sustaining permanent-magnet generators. This system, developed by Champion Aerospace, will have fixed timing when the engine is running, and an automatic retard function for starting. The IO-233 will be available for airframe manufacturers but also for homebuilders through the Thunderbolt arm. The engine will be certified on sub-100-octane fuel.
For more information, visit Lycoming’s website.
