Swiss rotary engine manufacturer Mistral Engines has been forced to suspend development of its G-300 rotary aircraft engine because of a dearth of funding.
The Geneva-based company says it is actively seeking new "avenues of financing" in an effort to restart the engine programme, which is designed to run on any type of autogas or avgas.
The normally aspirated 300hp (224kW) engine has been in development for the past decade and was in the final stages of testing before the decision to pull the plug was made.
"At the operational level, all indicators are green both from a technical and commercial standpoint," says Mistral chief executive Philippe Durr. "The shortage of cash is terribly frustrating for all involved stakeholders. Fortunately, these troubled times can be very quickly overcome if adequate financing is secured in the coming weeks," he adds.
To attract new investment Mistral is looking at a number of solutions including partnerships and the outright sale of the Mistral Engine design technology.
Mistral says the normally aspirated G-300 is a three-rotor rotary engine that is intended to bridge the current performance, reliability and cost gap between current piston and turbine engines. It is the first of a family of new-technology rotary engines under development by Mistral.
Source: Flight International
