There are only 10 Nemesis NXT racers in the world, and one happens to be in France, getting tuned up to compete in this year\u2019s Reno Air Races in about 10 weeks.\u00a0 On display last month at the Paris Air Show, the lightweight, carbon-fiber racer lacked the usual Lycoming IO-540 engine, a six-cylinder powerplant that cruises the 1,500 pound two-seater at 325 miles per hour.<\/p>\n
Aviation International News Online\u2019s<\/em> Olivia Saucier reported<\/a>, \u201cThe Big Frog racer <\/a>is getting attention for more than just its tongue-in-cheek patriotic name. The French aircraft is the first carbon-fiber race plane to run on a Diesel engine powered purely by jet-A fuel. And it is turning heads here at the Le Bourget show.<\/p>\n \u201cBig Frog is the brainchild of three pilots\u2013Frank Doyen, Mario Soave and Willy Gruhier \u2013 who dreamed up the project in 2005. They wanted to prove that a high-performance aircraft with a Diesel engine could win the prestigious Reno National Championship Air Races, which take place every September in the Nevada desert.\u201d<\/p>\n