In what appears to be the major product introduction of the Aero show in Friedrichshafen, Piper Aircraft announced Wednesday that it began marketing a diesel-powered Archer, the Archer DX. The aircraft is certified under an STC developed by Piper and Continental Motors and it will have Continentals Centurion 2.0s, a 155-horsepower variant of the base engine developed by the former Thielert Aircraft Engines and acquired by Continental last year. The airplane is slated for delivery in the first quarter of 2015, according to Piper CEO Simon Caldecott, who expects it will create a new market for the company, rather than cannibalizing sales of Lycoming-powered Archers. Piper see the DX as a global aircraft, but expects some sales in North America.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/ownership/piper-unveils-diesel-archer