飞机制造商AVIAT飞机公司和明尼阿波利斯的航空基金会美国公司将推出第一双燃料，活塞动力的飞机上操作既压缩天然气（CNG）和航空汽油，在本周举行的2013空中冒险需要放置在威斯康星州奥什科什，从7月29日至8月4日。AVIAT赫斯基CNG将展出创新馆外。

AVIAT飞机总裁斯图喇叭“，说：”这是一个了不起的概念证明型飞机。“虽然我们的标准赫斯基飞机适应这个双燃料（1）配置并非没有挑战，这是非常值得的。的性能和易用的操作已经超出了我们的预期。“

AVIAT赫斯基CNG，AVIAT阿夫顿，怀俄明州的总部设在飞行了1000多英里，在空中冒险，可以采用CNG或100LL航空汽油与一个开关翻转。它是一个标准的AVIAT赫斯基A1-C已经配备了CNG燃料罐中除了标准容量50加仑的航空汽油罐。这架飞机是由一个200马力的四缸莱康明飞机发动机，巡航速度为143英里每小时的飞行耐力在65％的功率设置大约是七小时。

CNG燃料罐和相关的燃料控制的异常，唯一的修改到发动机，莱康明IO-360-A1 D6，安装新的活塞，以增加压缩比从8.50:1到10:1。

从概念到现实
，美国航空基金总裁格雷格·赫里克走近AVIAT与建造一艘演示天然气的优势，可以提供通用航空飞机的想法在2013年初的总统。

“美国航空基金会总裁格雷格·赫里克说，”在众多的优势，使用CNG燃料成本节约，清洁燃烧的燃料，并没有铅排放。“给我留下了深刻印象AVIAT如何爽快地答应解决这个项目，一个团队的工程师和工匠在航空和天然气工业工作。其结果是一个复杂的解决方案，它可以容易地应用于多种活塞动力的飞机。

压缩天然气发电是达至80％，成本低于全国平均水平的六元每加仑航空汽油。是在CNG不含铅，它的存在是目前航空汽油的一个重大问题。这也是一个更清洁的燃烧燃料，减少烟雾的污染物减少90％，二氧化碳排放量减少30％。发动机机油仍然是显着的清洁，因此提高了发动机的使用寿命，同时提高飞机性能CNG通常与目前的100的航空汽油的辛烷值燃烧138辛烷值。

“一方面我们感到特别高兴的是可以极大地降低成本，学习飞行的机会，”赫里克 “如果一所飞行学校安装了一个简单的CNG加气站，他们可以减少学生的燃料成本，也许是数千美元。而且，燃料可只要有一种自然的气体管线。

如果培训平面使用10加仑每小时，仅燃料成本就可以减少由$ 40 - $ 60每小时。这将使经济的一所飞行学校，CNG加气站设备安装现场，甚至切换到100％CNG飞机的大多数培训航班在机场附近一般。

赫斯基的汽油容量为52加仑100LL，50是可用。在这个演示中飞机CNG和100LL坦克可能被填充能力，仍然携带220磅试点和70磅。齿轮。

（1）天然气汽车行业通常是指使用另外的两种燃料的双燃料一起作为双燃料，两种燃料的燃料系统。）

Airplane manufacturer Aviat Aircraft, Inc. and Minneapolis-based Aviation Foundation of America, Inc. will unveil the first bi-fuel, piston powered aircraft to operate on both compressed natural gas (CNG) and aviation gasoline, at this week’s AirVenture 2013 which takes place in Oshkosh, Wis., from July 29 through August 4. The Aviat Husky CNG will be on display outside the Innovations Pavilion.

“This is a remarkable proof-of-concept airplane,” said Stu Horn, president of Aviat Aircraft. “While adapting our standard Husky aircraft into this dual fuel (1) configuration was not without challenges, it was well worth it. The performance and ease of operations have exceeded our expectations.”

The Aviat Husky CNG, which flew more than 1,000 miles from Aviat’s headquarters in Afton, Wy., to be at AirVenture, can be powered by CNG or 100LL aviation gasoline with the flip of a switch. It is a standard Aviat Husky A1-C that has been fitted with a CNG fuel tank in addition to its standard aviation gasoline tanks with a capacity of 50 gallons. The aircraft is powered by a 200 h.p., four cylinder Lycoming aircraft engine with a cruise speed of 143 m.p.h. The flight endurance at 65 percent power setting is approximately seven hours.

With the exception of the CNG fuel tank and associated fuel controls, the only modification made to the engine, a Lycoming IO-360-A1 D6, was the installation of new pistons to increase the compression ratio from 8.50:1 to 10:1.

From Concept to Reality
Greg Herrick, president of the Aviation Foundation of America approached Aviat’s president in early 2013 with the idea of building an aircraft to demonstrate the advantages natural gas can offer general aviation aircraft.

“Among the many advantage of using CNG are fuel cost savings, cleaner burning fuel and no lead emissions,” said Greg Herrick, president of the Aviation Foundation of America. “I’m impressed with how Aviat readily agreed to tackle this project, working with a team of engineers and craftsmen within the aviation and natural gas industries. The result is a sophisticated solution which can be readily applied to a variety of piston powered aircraft.”

Compressed natural gas power is up to 80 percent less expensive than the national average of $6-per-gallon aviation gasoline. There is no lead in CNG, the presence of which is currently a significant issue with aviation gasoline. It is also a much cleaner burning fuel, reducing smog pollutants by 90 percent and reducing CO2 emissions by 30 percent. Engine oil remains significantly cleaner therefore improving engine life, while aircraft performance is enhanced as CNG typically burns 138 octane versus the current 100 octane of aviation gasoline.

“One aspect we’re particularly excited about is the opportunity to dramatically reduce the cost of learning to fly,” added Herrick. “If a flight school installs a simple CNG refueling station they can cut the cost for the student’s fuel, perhaps by thousands of dollars. And, the fuel is available wherever there is a natural gas line.”

If a training plane uses 10 gallons per hour, the cost of fuel alone could be reduced by $40-$60 per hour. This would make it economical for a flight school to install CNG refueling equipment on site, and even switch to 100% CNG aircraft as most training flights are in the general vicinity of the airport.

The Husky’s gasoline capacity is 52 gallons of 100LL, 50 of which is useable. In this demonstration aircraft both the CNG and 100LL tanks may be filled to capacity and still carry a 220 lb. pilot and 70 lbs. of gear.

(1) The natural gas vehicle industry typically refers to a fuel system that uses two fuels separately as bi-fuel and two fuels together as dual-fuel.)