The Federal Aviation Administration in the USA has certified the Continental's new IO-360-AF motor, which has enabled Flight Design to start final tests on the C4 before its first flight.
The C4, a four-seat GA plane, will be one of the first designs to use the new engine, which is certified to run on both 100LL and 91UL avgas.
Certification encouraged Flight Design to move the prototype to their headquarters in Kamenz, Germany, where it will be subjected to a battery of ground tests including a vibration test. Once that is complete, the C4 will progress to the flight test stage.
Flight Design chose the IO-360-AF engine because it is the lightest of all of Continental's six-cylinder engines.
“We are very pleased with the close cooperation we have received from Continental Motors on the C4 project,” said Matthias Betsch, CEO of Flight Design GmbH. “The engine manufacturer has shown great care with our engineers for the C4 design, including a IO-360-AF training course at their headquarters in Mobile."
Flight Design will run the engine at a maximum power output of 180 horsepower at 2550 RPM to permit quieter operation as needed to meet international noise standards. The newly-certified powerplant boasts 2200 hours Time Between Overhaul.
Certification of the C4 was initally expected early this year, but updates indicate the first flight is now likely to happen in the northern Summer of 2015.