» POWERING THE FUTURE Developments in power sources ELECTRIC: SIEMENS SP260D With every gain in battery capacity, electric aviation gets closer to reality. It represents a massive reduction in costs, fewer moving parts, potentially better reliability, and quieter and simpler operation. Siemens is the current market leader in experimental applications. The company has also developed a range of power applications for testing that could power virtually all of the light general aviation market. Its SP260D is one of the largest. Power: 350 horsepower equivalent Weight: 110 pounds Fuel burn: None; experts think electric energy costs will be less than $10 per hour DIESEL: DELTAHAWK Just a few years ago it seemed as if diesel was on the cusp of revolutionizing aircraft propulsion. Then reality set in. With the exception of Diamond's homegrown Austro and arguably Continental's offerings, the diesel engines that had been certified were commercial flops and the ones that have shown promise in development have yet to materialize after decades of work. Power: 160 to 200 horsepower Weight: 340 pounds Fuel burn: Not released, but advertised to be 40 percent less than a comparable avgas engine www.aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT | 79http://www.aopa.org/pilot