Mooney Aviation Company, purchased in 2013 by a Chinese real estate company, will soon produce the M10 in China. The jet would be fueled by diesel, cheaper than aviation gas, making it an ideal trainer aircraft as China fills in the growing need for Chinese pilots.

The firm, based in Texas and established in 1929, was famous for its fast metal propeller planes. But financial problems caused the company to stop production in 2009 until its 2013 acquisition by the Chinese realtor.

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The M10 was unveiled in November at the Zhuhai Airshow in China on November 15 when Chinese, Russian and United Arab Emirates teams displayed "stunning acrobatic performances." Almost 700 aviation companies from 41 nations and regions joined the event in southern China.

Peter Claeys, head of sales and marketing for China of Mooney, pointed out that aviation gas is quite difficult to find in Asia since there is only one refinery in the mainland that produces high octane low lead avgas. Besides being expensive at $4 per kilogram, its delivery must be arranged ahead of time.

While diesel engines found in cars have been in use for over 100 years, light planes didn't use diesel motors until recently, according to Wired.com because of technological innovations that allowed the production of diesel engines which consume lesser fuel and have lesser carbon dioxide emissions.

The diesel engines that the M10s would use were designed by Mercedes Benz for cars but converted for jets by Thielert, a defunct German company. The design is now owned by AVIC, an aerospace conglomerate owned by the Chinese government and has Mooney as one of its clients.

Mooney's jets were known for hitting 240 knots, but the two-seater M10 would be slower at 160 knots for the T model and 180 knots for the J model. The first deliveries are expected in 2017.

Tagsmooney aviation, aviation gas, pilot training, M10, zhuhai airshow