DeltaHawk Enginesorporated

DeltaHawk Engines builds piston engines for general aviation aircraft. The site says its engine is the first clean sheet piston design to earn FAA certification in over 60 years. The engines burn jet fuel as well as sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF. The company is based in Racine, Wisconsin.

The company was founded in 1996 by Doug and Diane Doers and John Brooks. Doug was a pilot and mechanical engineer. Diane had business experience. John was a military pilot and an American Airlines captain. They wanted an engine that was cleaner, more efficient and needed less maintenance.

The project proved harder and costlier than expected. For many years the company had only two or three employees. Lack of funding was the main problem. In 2015 Al and Chris Ruud learned of the project and gave financial support. The engine received FAA type certification in 2023.

The site lists several features. The engine is direct drive, so it has no gearbox. It has single lever control and no mixture control. It has no complicated FADEC and about 40 percent fewer parts than other engines. FADEC is a computer that controls an engine.

The company says the engine burns 35 to 40 percent less fuel than engines that use AVGAS. It also uses no lead. Turbo charging and supercharging give altitude performance, with a critical altitude above 17,500 feet. The site also points to strong low end torque, short takeoff runs and fast climbs.

The campus sits next to Batten International Airport and has more than 85,000 square feet of space. The company designs, assembles and tests nearly all critical parts in house. Its facilities include ISO Class 8 clean rooms, fuel and cooling system testing, supercharger and propeller testing, and flight test.

The company is developing installation packages for its DHK engine line. It asks pilots which airframes could be a good fit. The website invites visitors to be among the first to receive an engine and installation package.