Inventor Tom Ehresman Awarded Lycoming Engines and the Lindbergh Foundation Grant to Focus on Eliminating Leaded Aviation Fuel
Oshkosh, WI - July 25, 2007 - Lycoming Engines, a division of Avco Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT), is proud to announce with the Lindbergh Foundation, the 2007 Lindbergh-Lycoming grant recipient.
Tom Ehresman, an inventor from Loveland, Colorado, has been awarded the 2007 Lindbergh-Lycoming Grant for his project entitled, “Creating a Direct Injection Igniter Fuel Nozzle to Eliminate the Use of Leaded Fuels in Existing High Power Density Aircraft Piston Engines.” This is the second annual Lindbergh-Lycoming grant to be awarded by the newly established partnership between Lycoming Engines and the Lindbergh Foundation. The Lindbergh-Lycoming grant specifically funds projects focused on aviation and aerospace innovations.
“The Lindbergh-Lycoming grant promotes advancements in aviation and also the conservation of the environment,” stated Senior Vice President and General Manager of Lycoming Engines, Ian Walsh. “We want to bring innovative ideas and technology to the general aviation community to help grow our industry. This grant creates opportunities for environmentally friendly options to be explored.”
Aviation gasoline is the only fuel in the world that still contains lead. In the future, 100-octane low lead aircraft fuel (100LL) will be discontinued because it contains tetra-ethyl-lead (TEL), which is added at the refinery and is highly toxic. Today's high performance aircraft piston engines require 100LL fuel to operate without failure at higher power settings. The move to unleaded fuels is fast approaching and no viable alternative fuels have been found that higher power piston engines can use without incurring damage or greatly decreasing operational limitations.
Mr. Ehresman is developing a direct injection fuel nozzle system that would allow numerous types of fuels to be used in current high-performance aircraft piston engines, including jet fuel, diesel, kerosene and other liquid fuels. Operators would need to make only relatively minor modifications to reap the benefits of operating their aircraft as they do today. Eliminating TEL will improve the air quality, as lead is removed from fuel emissions, and allow refineries to consolidate refining operations and fuel infrastructures, further reducing harmful emissions, the risk of spills and pipeline lead, and consumer fuel prices. Mr. Ehresman received one of 14 Lindbergh grants awarded so far this year, and was chosen from 150 applicants from around the world.
Lindbergh Grants are made in amounts up to $10,580, a symbolic amount representing the cost of building Charles Lindbergh's plane, the Spirit of St. Louis, in 1927. To date, more than $2.7 million has been awarded to 284 researchers. The Lindbergh-Lycoming grant joins two organizations that have a vision for future advancements in technology as well as a passion for aviation. The grant is Lycoming Engines' way of investing in the aviation community while supporting the profound work done by the Lindbergh Foundation.
Lycoming Engines specializes in Engineering, Manufacture, Service and Support of piston aircraft engines. Headquartered in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Lycoming piston engines power more than half of the world's general aviation fleet – both rotary-wing and fixed-wing. Lycoming Engines is a division of Avco Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Textron Inc. More information is available at www.lycoming.textron.com.
About Textron
Textron Inc. is an $11 billion multi-industry company operating in 32 countries with approximately 40,000 employees. The company leverages its global network of aircraft, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, Fluid & Power, Textron Systems and Textron Financial Corporation. More information is available at www.textron.com.
The Lindbergh Foundation is a public 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Minnesota that supports technological solutions to improve our environment for a sustainable future. Its programs are devoted to supporting, honoring, and educating individuals, through the annual honorary Lindbergh Award and the Lindbergh Grants program, which provides grants for research or education projects that will make important contributions to the technology/environment balance.