August 11, 2008 5:30 PM PDT
Geoff Stevenson, a mechanical engineer and owner of the biodiesel plane, a modified Diamond DA20-A1, said he and his brother had to pull their craft from the contest because its air inlet temperature sensor was broken. Still, they plan to race next year, he said.
"The push to develop a diesel engine is worthy because of the limited availability of aviation leaded fuels," Stevenson said. He added that he and his brother spent about $15,000 on the 12-year-old air frame, and another $3,500 to develop the engine.
Photo by Stefanie Olsen/CNET News
