Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the challenges of turbine engine installation on small aircraft. The work was a part of the European Union project Efficient Systems and Propulsion for Small Aircraft, FP7 EU – Activity, 7.1.4. improving cost efficiency. Design/methodology/approach Few of the most interesting issues associated with replacing a piston engine with a turboprop engine were chosen: changes in engine bay cooling, air inlet, exhaust system, nacellès weight and parts reduction, flight tests and performance. The publication presents an approach to: design, assemble and test the small aircraft with a turboprop engine. Findings Replacement of piston engine by turbine was carried out. The full program of ground and flight test small aircraft has been successfully completed. Pros and cons of the new design are described in the paper. Practical implications Currently, aviation gasoline (AVGAS ) is increasingly being replaced by JET-A1 (kerosene-type fuels) or diesel fuel. The change concerns engine replacement and all the necessary additional components on the aircraft. This is consistent with the new directions of development of aviation: clean, green and eco design. Replacing the piston engine with a turbine allows improvement to performance and reduces operation cost. Originality/value The achieved results allow for identifying and highlighting new directions of aviation technology development. A significant added value is to draw attention to the necessity of preparing for future requirements and amendments in regulations for the new class of aircraft: general aviation SET(L) – single engine turboprop.

The aim of this paper is to present the results of prepreg nacelles design and manufacturing for I-31T aircraft. The work was part of the European Union project ‘Efficient Systems and Propulsion for Small Aircraft’ (ESPOSA). The new engine cowling design was preceded by computational fluid dynamics numerical analyses stage. Use of TP100 engine was assumed, which was installed on the I-31T aircraft in the framework of the ESPOSA project. This article presents the process of external geometry adjustment, chosen results of numerical analyses, 3D model design, manufacturing process and tests results. The new cowlings underwent ground and in-flight tests. Monitoring during the test included external and internal cowling temperatures. The collected test data were further analysed. Throughout accumulated energy in hot parts of the engine the temperature inside the engine nacelles rises. ‘Hot’ composite nacelles were used in order to withstand the impact of high temperature. In majority of modern aircraft propulsion systems, cowlings are made of composite. Currently, there is a trend to manufacture initially solution treated materials – i.e. glass and carbon fiber pre-pregs in out-of-autoclave process. Such an approach allows to accelerate the fabric layup process and achieve highly repeatable structure. Materials that are currently available in the market allow to manufacture the cowlings and simultaneous weight minimization. Owing to the applied 3D software for both design and manufacture of machining tools, it is possible to shorten the time of manufacturing a complete element. The cowlings were designed in cooperation with the NLR – Netherlands Aerospace Centre, who was a partner in the ESPOSA project and has experience in prepreg elements design. NLR was responsible for material selection and final part manufacturing. Tooling has been designed and manufactured in the Institute of Aviation in Warsaw. The assembly works were carried out by Zakłady lotnicze Margański & Mysłowski.

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Purpose The aim of this paper is to present the results preparation of a new glass cockpit for a general aviation category airplane with a TP100 turboprop 180 kW engine. All the works were carried out within the framework of the European programme: “Efficient Systems and Propulsion for Small Aircraft” – ESPOSA. Design/methodology/approach As a part of the ongoing work, the avionics equipment available on the market were thoroughly analysed. Optimization of choice was defined at the level of costs, ergonomics and development requirements of the engine manufacturer. The paper presents the issues of the realized project and discusses its specific characteristics, such as advantages and disadvantages in comparison to the conventional analogue cockpit and the possibility of adaptation for the plane. Findings New avionics, ground and in-flight tests were carried out. The data were collected, which, together with an ergonomics assessment done by the pilot and the observer, confirmed the previously established technical and operational objectives. Practical implications Most airplanes, when being modernized, encounter minor or major problems. A new approach to upgrading the avionics, involving the exchange of a piston engine with a turbine engine, which is supported by 3D software, has allowed a significant reduction of working time and costs. Originality/value The achieved results allow specifying a plan of changes, necessary to adapt the aircraft to a new avionic system. However, an important value is to show a new development direction of the turbine engine implementation in general aviation aircrafts.