Don Nolan-Proxmire
Headquarters, Washington, DC               September 27, 1996
(Phone:  202/358-1983)

Lori Rachul
Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, OH
(Phone:  216/433-8806)

RELEASE:  C96-k

NASA AWARDS TWO GENERAL AVIATION 
PROPULSION COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS

        NASA's Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, OH, has 
awarded  two cooperative agreements in support of the 
Agency's General Aviation Propulsion (GAP) program.

       Williams International, Walled Lake, MI, was selected 
for negotiation of a $37 million cooperative agreement to 
develop a turbine engine. Under this four-year agreement, the 
company will develop and flight demonstrate break-through, 
low-cost turbine engine propulsion systems.  The turbine 
engine concepts are for light general aviation aircraft with 
six seats or less and cruising airspeeds greater than 200 
knots.  The work will be conducted at their facilities in 
Walled Lake as well as at Lewis, NASA's Langley Research 
Center, Hampton, VA, and NASA's Dryden Flight Research 
Center, Edwards, CA.

        The major goal of the Williams International 
agreement is to develop technologies and manufacturing 
processes for low-cost, environmentally compliant, innovative 
turbine engine propulsion systems.

        Teledyne Continental Motors, Mobile, AL, was selected 
for negotiation of a $9.5 million cooperative agreement to 
develop an Intermittent Combustion Engine.

        Under this three-year agreement, the company will 
develop and flight demonstrate affordable, lightweight, 
innovative Intermittent Combustion (IC) propulsion systems.  
The IC concepts are for entry-level general aviation aircraft 
with single engines, four seats and cruising airspeed of less 
than 200 knots.  The work will be conducted at their 
facilities in Mobile and at Lewis.

        The major goal of the Teledyne Continental Motors 
agreement is to develop technologies and manufacturing 
processes that reduce engine prices by one half while 
substantially improving reliability, maintainability as well 
as meeting future emission and noise requirements. 
               -end-