Maybe somebody can help me understand corporate decision making. Lycoming (a Textron subsidiary) comes out with a "new" TEO-540-C1A with electronic management for the Tecnam P2012. The engine claims to have 375 hp and relatively good fuel efficiency (and no mixture control). Why isn't this engine in a new B36TC, a new 58TC, or the T206?

Don't tell me it is too hard for Beech, because they hung a similar engine on the 56TC and the Duke. Textron develops the engine and then announces that the piston lines at Beech and Cessna have upgraded their models by adding USB ports? That engine on a B36TC would be a nice combination. I will admit that I don't know how much heavier the Lycoming is than the Continental.

I thought the exact same thing today after seeing a video about that plane today. A conversion into a 340 or 414 would be awesome! Maybe RAM could figure it out.

I volunteer a Cessna 414 for testing!

I think the boring answer is it doesn't make financial sense. It is more expensive to make, and developing a new STC would be expensive as well. You then have to compete with the older engines that will be just as fuel efficient with similar performance.

It makes more sense for a new airframe design, but there aren't many of those. Even there, a FADEC 350hp will cost more than a non-FADEC, and you'll have to battle all of the old timers that are skeptical that some damn computer is doing the wrong thing.

Those guys are dying off every day…

This. Last I checked and it's been several years the engine price was 130K

I have good information that that aircraft was designed to use the 400 hp EPS diesels but when EPS went south they needed a replacement and the 375 hp lyc was the band aid to make it work.

That is interesting and very believable. I was suspicious of EPS when I saw their palatial air conditioned tent at Oshkosh (where they were asking for investor money to fund development).

It amazes me it makes 375hp when you look at how much was needed to make 380hp on the IGSO-540 engines. (gearing, good fuel, high RPM and supercharger).

For the new engine is it still the case they would have to be slightly more than 375hp to allow all of them to make at least 375hp with production tolerances.

I wonder how the actual thrust measurements compare between the two engines?

Could they make a new version of the TIGO-541 with the electronic monitoring technology and make 450hp reliably?

The list may be $130k, but Textron owns Lycoming and Beechcraft. They made the decision to go all Lycoming with Cessna-it would make sense for them to do the same with Beechcraft.

Volume, volume, volume, return on investment. They did switch to Lycoming on the Cessna models previously Continental powered. There simply isn't enough volume of sales in the Beech line to make this worthwhile, switching to Lycoming on those models would not change that.

See, this is what happens when you put MBAs in charge of a company. They focus on their spreadsheets but have no vision.

See, this is what happens when you put MBAs in charge of a company. They focus on their spreadsheets but have no vision.

They sell almost no piston airplanes. Even assuming the substantial cost of the modification and certification was $0, they'd still need to increase the cost of the airplane to keep their margin the same and the market thinks they are too expensive already.

Cirrus probably isn't because they can't build enough airplanes as it is. Maybe that is in their plans.

They sell almost no piston airplanes. Even assuming the substantial cost of the modification and certification was $0, they'd still need to increase the cost of the airplane to keep their margin the same and the market thinks they are too expensive already.

Cirrus probably isn't because they can't build enough airplanes as it is. Maybe that is in their plans.