Superior Air Parts will launch its 100-horsepower Gemini diesel engine on the light sport American Legend Cub.
A mockup of the engine, which was introduced at Sun 'n Fun in the spring, is mounted on a Legend Cub on display at the Superior Air Parts exhibit at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The three-cylinder, two-stroke powerplant will be a factory option for the entire line of American Legend Aircraft.
“We are really excited about offering the Gemini Diesel engine on our Legend Cub,” said American Legend Aircraft Co. President Darin Hart. “With its high torque, very efficient fuel burn and the ability to run on Jet A, diesel or bio-diesel fuels, the 100-horsepower Gemini will be an extremely popular engine option for Legend Cub buyers around the world.”
Superior says the Gemini 100’s two-opposing-pistons-per-cylinder design is based on that of the Junkers Jumo 205, which powered countless World War II-era multiengine German aircraft. The engine manufacturer’s website says the engine is named Gemini because many of its design features come in pairs: two pistons per cylinder, two crankshafts, and each cylinder’s combustion chamber is formed between the crowns of two opposing pistons to produce a two-stroke power cycle. Therefore, the engine itself has fewer moving parts than a traditional opposing cylinder powerplant.
Superior Air Parts Vice President for Sales and Marketing Scott Hayes said that having a mockup mounted on a Legend Cub at EAA AirVenture so soon after introducing the engine “is a tremendous testament to the growth opportunities this engine brings to the LSA segment.”
“With an installed weight of just under 200 pounds, we expect the 100-horsepower Gemini Diesel to deliver performance comparable to the O-200 powered Legend Cub, but with greener operations, greater fuel efficiency and Jet A/diesel fuel flexibility,” Hart said. “We are especially excited to offer the diesel option to our owners who operate in remote locations or in parts of the world where 100 LL Avgas is expensive or difficult to find. The Gemini Diesel option will really expand the reach of Legend Cub aircraft.”
According to the company, the supercharged 100-horsepower uniflow diesel can return up to 20 percent lower fuel burn compared to its avgas counterparts. The engine is retrofittable with other piston engine designs. It weighs just less than 160 pounds by itself or less than 200 pounds installed.
The Gemini diesel engine will be offered as an option on the factory-built models (both wheeled and equipped with floats), and the kit-built versions of the Legend Cub, Hart said.
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