Suddenly Continental Motors is a player in the active Experimental aircraft market with its purchase of Danbury AeroSpace that includes Titan aircraft engines. Up to this time Continental has had "zero" participation in that important market, said Rhett Ross, director of Continental Motors and vice president of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) International Corp., which owns Continental.
Danbury AeroSpace assets include Engine Components International Inc., Precision Machined Parts Inc., Airmotive Engineering Corporation, Aircooled Motors, Sterling Machinery and Process, and EC Services Inc., located at its site in San Antonio, Texas, as well as the Titan brand of engines and parts.
Danbury AeroSpace offers its products under the brand Engine Components International (ECi), and has designed and manufactured components and engines since 1943. Its capabilities include PMA design and certification, engine design and certification, operation of a Part 145 Repair Station for piston aircraft engines and parts, manufacturing process design, manufacturing system design and production and sales, service, and support. Titan makes a range of engines from 150 horsepower to 300 horsepower. They appear in a number of kit aircraft and helicopters. CubCrafters uses Titan engines in both the Carbon Cub SS and Carbon Cub EX.
Ross said the acquisition brings total Continental employees to 700 people. The purchase isn't completed and will take 30 to 60 days to close.
This isn't the end of acquisition news from Continental. There is interest in electric and hybrid aircraft, Ross said. There is also interest in a category he called "delivering greater value" to include electronic engine controls and expanded customer service. Diesel engines are a part of Continental's future expansion as shown in the past acquisition of Thielert (now Technify Motors) in Germany.
