Originally Posted by
TonyWilliams
Many very popular engine designs are produced and can be purchase wholly, or in parts, from outside vendors.
Volkswagen, Chevrolet and even Lycoming engines are a few examples. I doubt you can do the same with a Mercedes diesel, but that doesn't prevent a company from "cloning" the design after if has become obsolete for MB.
Buy it "cheap" now, get the certification, then over the years, piece by piece, reproduce all the various parts, waiting for the day that MB pulls the plug.
Then reproduce the thing for the next 50 years, like Cont / Lyc do !!!!
The hardest part to reproduce is the block. And unlike auto clones, each aftermarket manufacturer would need FAA PMA approval. If you are planning on buying clone parts from two dozen different detroit aftermarket outfits they would ALL need to obtain FAA authorization. Not likely, only a few detroit autoparts suppliers have had any success breaking into aviation for that reason. If you ask them about AS9100, and they go "Huh?"...it's not going to happen.