Orenda OE600
Encyclopedia
The Orenda OE600 is a 600 hp-class liquid-cooled 8-cylinder V-block
aircraft engine
intended to re-introduce piston power to aircraft normally powered by the famous Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6
turboprop
. The piston engine offers much better fuel economy, which Orenda Aerospace felt would be attractive for older aircraft whose engines were reaching the end of their lifespan. However, changes in Orenda's business in the post-9/11 time frame led to the project being canceled.
s of the 1960s. In 1969, General Motors
adapted the engine to use a new aluminum block and pistons rather than cast iron
, creating the ZL1. Originally, only 50 examples were produced in 1969 so they could be homologated
for the CanAm
series. Additional copies were produced to equip high-end versions of the Corvette
, bringing the total production to 71.
In the late 1970s, Richard MacCoon, an aviation entrepreneur, and his brother, Grant MacCoon, owner of a Southern California automotive aftermarket products company, contacted Lee Muir, a racing engine builder, about adapting the ZL1 for aviation use. Eventually, a brand new engine, based on the linerless Reynolds 390 alloy Chevrolet used in the CanAm
series, was designed and a small number of prototype engines were built. In addition to the engine components, a propeller reduction gear drive and accessory drive gear section were designed by Richard Lyndhurst, of Santa Ana, CA. The engine package included twin turbochargers and a liquid-to-air aftercooler.
racing team facility in Marina, CA, near Monterey. The result, known as the Thunder Engine, was shown around the general aviation
market during the 1980s. In about 1986, BKM, an automotive R&D consulting company in San Diego, CA, was contracted to continue development. Static ground tests and design refinement continued there for several years. However, financial difficulties led to the project being abandoned after a reported investment of some $5 to $10 million. The engine proved to be difficult to adapt to the long-running high-reliability aviation needs.
Orenda took over development of the engine in 1994. According to their engineers, the engine as it was simply wasn't capable of running at cruise power for extended periods, and required a huge amount of additional development. They completed the certification process in March 1998 as the OE600A. The OE600's "natural" target was the PT6, the most popular turboprop engine of all time. Although a turboprop has a superb power-to-weight ratio
, it is also very "thirsty" for fuel, and its performance drops off linearly with altitude. The OE600 offered better fuel mileage, as well as considerably improved climb rates (even though it was heavier) and cruise speeds, all suggesting a lower overall cost of operation. On the downside, any piston engine is much more complex than a turbine, so the OE600 initially had a time between overhaul
s of only 1500 hours, compared to about 10,000 for the PT6. Orenda expected to increase this to 2500 hours by collecting in-service reliability information, but this still represented a major difference in maintenance vs. operational costs.
300 and 400 Series, de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver
and DHC-3 Otter
, the Beechcraft C90 King Air
, Aero Commander 500 series, and AEA Explorer 500R
. Basically any widely used aircraft with an engine around 600 hp was considered as a potential target, which Orenda calculated at about 30,000 flying examples with the PT6, Pratt & Whitney R-1340
, Wright R-1820
, and various Eastern Bloc
engines of similar power. Several new aircraft were designed around the engine as well, including the TAI ZIU, Hongdu N-5
and LZ-400 Rhino.
Orenda opened a new service depot known as Orenda Recip at the former CFS Debert
in Debert, Nova Scotia
. Here they intended to install and service the OE600. At the time they offered a supplemental type certificate
conversion for the Otter, planning to follow this with the King Air. They were also interested in smaller and larger versions of the engine, floating a trial balloon
at a 750 hp size (the OE750) before deciding on a naturally aspirated
500 hp version instead.
V engine
A V engine, or Vee engine is a common configuration for an internal combustion engine. The cylinders and pistons are aligned, in two separate planes or 'banks', so that they appear to be in a "V" when viewed along the axis of the crankshaft...
aircraft engine
Aircraft engine
An aircraft engine is the component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines...
intended to re-introduce piston power to aircraft normally powered by the famous Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6
The Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 is one of the most popular turboprop aircraft engines in history, and is produced by Pratt & Whitney Canada. The PT6 family is particularly well known for its extremely high reliability, with MTBO's on the order of 9000 hours in some models. In US military use, they...
turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
. The piston engine offers much better fuel economy, which Orenda Aerospace felt would be attractive for older aircraft whose engines were reaching the end of their lifespan. However, changes in Orenda's business in the post-9/11 time frame led to the project being canceled.
Design and development
The engine traces its history to the "Generation 2" Chevrolet Big-Block engineChevrolet Big-Block engine
The Chevrolet big block is a series of large displacement V8 engines that were developed in the USA during the 1950s and 1960s. As American automobiles grew in size and weight following the Second World War the engines powering them had to keep pace...
s of the 1960s. In 1969, General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
adapted the engine to use a new aluminum block and pistons rather than cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
, creating the ZL1. Originally, only 50 examples were produced in 1969 so they could be homologated
Homologation
Homologation is a technical term, derived from the Greek homologeo for "to agree", which is generally used in English to signify the granting of approval by an official authority...
for the CanAm
CanAm
The Canadian-American Challenge Cup or Can-Am, was an SCCA/CASC sports car racing series from 1966 to 1986.-History:Can-Am started out as a race series for Group 7 sports racers with two races in Canada and four races in the United States of America . The series was initially sponsored by Johnson...
series. Additional copies were produced to equip high-end versions of the Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
, bringing the total production to 71.
In the late 1970s, Richard MacCoon, an aviation entrepreneur, and his brother, Grant MacCoon, owner of a Southern California automotive aftermarket products company, contacted Lee Muir, a racing engine builder, about adapting the ZL1 for aviation use. Eventually, a brand new engine, based on the linerless Reynolds 390 alloy Chevrolet used in the CanAm
CanAm
The Canadian-American Challenge Cup or Can-Am, was an SCCA/CASC sports car racing series from 1966 to 1986.-History:Can-Am started out as a race series for Group 7 sports racers with two races in Canada and four races in the United States of America . The series was initially sponsored by Johnson...
series, was designed and a small number of prototype engines were built. In addition to the engine components, a propeller reduction gear drive and accessory drive gear section were designed by Richard Lyndhurst, of Santa Ana, CA. The engine package included twin turbochargers and a liquid-to-air aftercooler.
Testing
Early testing and development took place at the ShadowShadow Racing Cars
Shadow Racing Cars was a Formula One and sports car racing team, founded and initially based in the United States although later Formula One operations were run from Britain.-1971-1972: Early years in CanAm series:...
racing team facility in Marina, CA, near Monterey. The result, known as the Thunder Engine, was shown around the general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
market during the 1980s. In about 1986, BKM, an automotive R&D consulting company in San Diego, CA, was contracted to continue development. Static ground tests and design refinement continued there for several years. However, financial difficulties led to the project being abandoned after a reported investment of some $5 to $10 million. The engine proved to be difficult to adapt to the long-running high-reliability aviation needs.
Orenda took over development of the engine in 1994. According to their engineers, the engine as it was simply wasn't capable of running at cruise power for extended periods, and required a huge amount of additional development. They completed the certification process in March 1998 as the OE600A. The OE600's "natural" target was the PT6, the most popular turboprop engine of all time. Although a turboprop has a superb power-to-weight ratio
Power-to-weight ratio
Power-to-weight ratio is a calculation commonly applied to engines and mobile power sources to enable the comparison of one unit or design to another. Power-to-weight ratio is a measurement of actual performance of any engine or power sources...
, it is also very "thirsty" for fuel, and its performance drops off linearly with altitude. The OE600 offered better fuel mileage, as well as considerably improved climb rates (even though it was heavier) and cruise speeds, all suggesting a lower overall cost of operation. On the downside, any piston engine is much more complex than a turbine, so the OE600 initially had a time between overhaul
Time between overhaul
One important measure of an aircraft engine's overall economics is how often it has to be overhauled, the so-called time between overhaul, typically seen as TBO or TBOH....
s of only 1500 hours, compared to about 10,000 for the PT6. Orenda expected to increase this to 2500 hours by collecting in-service reliability information, but this still represented a major difference in maintenance vs. operational costs.
Applications
Orenda and a number of third parties also started the process of developing modification certifications for various popular aircraft. It was tested as a potential replacement engine on a number of aircraft, including the Air TractorAir Tractor
Air Tractor Inc. is a United States aircraft manufacturer based in Olney, Texas. Leland Snow founded the company in 1978 in order to manufacture a new agricultural aircraft derived from the S-2B aircraft . Designated Model AT-300 Air Tractor, the new aircraft first flew in 1973...
300 and 400 Series, de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver
De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver
The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver is a single-engined, high-wing, propeller-driven, STOL aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada, primarily known as a bush plane. It is used for cargo and passenger hauling, aerial application , and has been widely adopted by armed forces as a utility aircraft...
and DHC-3 Otter
De Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter
The de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter is a single-engined, high-wing, propeller-driven, STOL aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada. It was conceived to be capable of performing the same roles as the earlier and highly successful Beaver, but was overall a larger aircraft.-Design and...
, the Beechcraft C90 King Air
Beechcraft King Air
The Beechcraft King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by the Beech Aircraft Corporation...
, Aero Commander 500 series, and AEA Explorer 500R
AEA Explorer
-Specifications AEA 500T :-See also:-References:* Jackson, Paul. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group, 2003. ISBN 0-7106-2537-5.-External links:**...
. Basically any widely used aircraft with an engine around 600 hp was considered as a potential target, which Orenda calculated at about 30,000 flying examples with the PT6, Pratt & Whitney R-1340
Pratt & Whitney R-1340
|-See also:* Pratt & Whitney Wasp series* Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior* Pratt & Whitney R-1535 Twin Wasp Junior* Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp-Bibliography:...
, Wright R-1820
Wright R-1820
|-See also:-References:* Bridgman, L, Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. Crescent. ISBN 0-517-67964-7* Eden, Paul & Soph Moeng, The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Amber Books Ltd. Bradley's Close, 74-77 White Lion Street, London, NI 9PF, 2002, ISBN 0-7607-3432-1), 1152...
, and various Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
engines of similar power. Several new aircraft were designed around the engine as well, including the TAI ZIU, Hongdu N-5
Hongdu N-5
-References:* Lambert, Mark . Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993-94. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Data Division, 1993. ISBN 0 7106 1066 1.* Sobie, Brendan. "". Flight International, 15-21 June 2004. p.29....
and LZ-400 Rhino.
Orenda opened a new service depot known as Orenda Recip at the former CFS Debert
CFS Debert
Canadian Forces Station Debert was a Canadian Forces station located in Debert, Nova Scotia. It was most recently used during the Cold War as a communications facility and was home to a "Regional Emergency Government Headquarters" complex.Originally this facility was developed with an airfield...
in Debert, Nova Scotia
Debert, Nova Scotia
Debert is an unincorporated farming community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It is located approximately 20 km west of the town of Truro. The Village of Debert is home to two churches, Baptist and United, plus a Fellowship Center, as well as a gas station and two garages. There are...
. Here they intended to install and service the OE600. At the time they offered a supplemental type certificate
Supplemental Type Certificate
A Supplemental Type Certificate is an FAA approved major modification or repair to an existing type certified aircraft, engine or propeller. As it adds to the existing type certificate, it is deemed 'supplemental'.-Purpose:...
conversion for the Otter, planning to follow this with the King Air. They were also interested in smaller and larger versions of the engine, floating a trial balloon
Trial balloon
A trial balloon is information sent out to the media in order to observe the reaction of an audience. It can be used by companies sending out press releases to judge reaction by customers, or it can be used by politicians who deliberately leak information on a policy change under consideration...
at a 750 hp size (the OE750) before deciding on a naturally aspirated
Naturally-aspirated engine
A naturally aspirated engine is one common type of reciprocating piston internal combustion engine that depends solely on atmospheric pressure to counter the partial vacuum in the induction tract to draw in combustion air...
500 hp version instead.
Cancelation
Unfortunately, the events of 9/11 required Orenda to re-focus entirely on their military projects, and the OE600 project was canceled. The design was later purchased by a group of investors who intend to sell the engine under the Texas Recip brand, but it is unclear if this project is continuing. On August 29, 2006 the president of Texas Recip, Paul Thorpe was sentenced to 3 years and five months for defrauding investors, telling them the money was being invested in the engine project, or other investments, when it was actually being used to pay off investors in a previous scheme.TRACE Engines
More recently the project has been picked up by TRACE Engines of Midland, Texas. Yorkton Aircraft is handling Canadian installations in agricultural aircraft.Specifications
- Displacement: 495 cubic inches (8.1 litres)
- Bore: 4.433”
- Stroke: 4.000”
- Dimensions: 59.5”(l) x 32” (w) x 32.5 “ (h)
- Compression ratio: 8.1:1
- Weight: 740 pounds dry (335.6 kg)
- Performance: 600 hp @ 4,400 rpm takeoff (447 kW), 500 hp continuous (373 kW)
- Fuel Consumption: 0.44 lbs./hp/hr (100LL)
- TBO was established at 1800 hours not at 1500 hours.
- Power-to-weight ratio: 0.81 hp/lb (1.33 kW/kg)
External links
- TRACE Engines
- TRACE Powers Up Canada (Yorkton Aircraft)