Teach me about engines

AdamZ

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Adam Zucker
I'm hopelessly confuse about aircraft engines, piston engines to be exact. I do understand that there are two main engine manufactures Lycoming and Continental but I don't fully understand which aircraft mfgs use which. I have heard Piper uses Lycoming as does Mooney but Beech and Cessna use continentials.
More specifically I'm confused about the engine model names and numbers! For example a Lycoming IO 360 is not Three hudred and sixty horse power is it? Help whats in an engine name that tells me something about the engine?
 
http://www.pilotfriend.com/

Click aircraft engine specifications.
It has the designators, the sizes, hp, bore & stroke and more for all the engines I have ever heard of.

Many a/c mfg have use several competing engines in their airframes over the years (and some a/c have odd engines used as an aftermarket modification).

The number you see is the cubic inch displacement.
The hp is often close to 1/2 the CID.
 
Depending on model Mooney has used both Lycoming and TCM engines.
 
AdamZ said:
I'm hopelessly confuse about aircraft engines, piston engines to be exact. I do understand that there are two main engine manufactures Lycoming and Continental but I don't fully understand which aircraft mfgs use which. I have heard Piper uses Lycoming as does Mooney but Beech and Cessna use continentials.
More specifically I'm confused about the engine model names and numbers! For example a Lycoming IO 360 is not Three hudred and sixty horse power is it? Help whats in an engine name that tells me something about the engine?
Adam, Cessna used to use Continentals. However, now both Cessna and Lycoming are owned by Textron, so guess what engines Cessna uses now?

The "number" in the engine model is almost always the cubic inch displacement of the engine. O-360 is a 360 cubic inch engine, etc. O meas opposed, the flat "boxer" design that gives a low profile = easier to see over the nose. I means fuel injected, no carburetor. And the letters and numbers after the cubic inch refer to the specific model of engine, what accessories are on it, etc.

I'm sure the web sites quoted have more lengthy descriptions but this should give you a start.

IO-360-H2AD: fuel injected, opposed design, 360 cubes, and (among other things) the infamous dual magnetos driven by one shaft.

-Skip
 
All the light Grummans have left the factory with Lycomings -- O-235-C2C/L2C in the 2-seaters, O-320-E2G's in the Traveler/Cheetah, O-360-A4K in the Tiger, and O-320-D1D's in the Cougar. But don't be surprised if Tiger Aircraft goes with a Continental engine in the upgraded Tiger (look for a 230HP-class engine, and a longer and possibly wider cabin to make a 182 competitor) that's on the drawing boards in Martinsburg.
 
AdamZ said:
I'm hopelessly confuse about aircraft engines, piston engines to be exact. I do understand that there are two main engine manufactures Lycoming and Continental but I don't fully understand which aircraft mfgs use which. I have heard Piper uses Lycoming as does Mooney but Beech and Cessna use continentials.
More specifically I'm confused about the engine model names and numbers! For example a Lycoming IO 360 is not Three hudred and sixty horse power is it? Help whats in an engine name that tells me something about the engine?

Different models of many manufacturers use both Lycoming and Continentals. The nomenclature goes like this O= opposed cylinders, a "Boxer" motor if you please, there are also radial and inline as well as variants of these. IO= Fuel Injected Opposed. TIO= Turbocharged Injected Opposed. TSIO= Turbo Supercharged.... GTSIO= Geared (prop) Turbo..... The number is the displacement of the cylinders in Cubic Inches. After that is what's known as the "dash" number, i.e. TIO 540 J2BD. This is the configuration of the engine components and accessories.
 
Lance F said:
Depending on model Mooney has used both Lycoming and TCM engines.

Lance, wasnt there a porshe engine for mooney one year? or was that just an idea. I remember hearing that somewhere. but I could be way off on this one.
 
Michael said:
Lance, wasnt there a porshe engine for mooney one year? or was that just an idea. I remember hearing that somewhere. but I could be way off on this one.

Yep, and IIRC, Mooney was paying to put Lycs in them.
 
Michael said:
Lance, wasnt there a porshe engine for mooney one year? or was that just an idea. I remember hearing that somewhere. but I could be way off on this one.

I'm a bit of a Porsche fanatic too. Unfortunately the PMF "Porsche Flugmotor" was a disaster for all parties. Basically the motor was too heavy, too complicated (one of the first, maybe the first) FADEC systems for GA) and not a good performer. To Porsche's credit they continued to support the motor for many years even though the whole program was nothing but red ink. Not any more though; current management is much more attuned to the bottom line.
 
Lance F said:
I'm a bit of a Porsche fanatic too. Unfortunately the PMF "Porsche Flugmotor" was a disaster for all parties. Basically the motor was too heavy, too complicated (one of the first, maybe the first) FADEC systems for GA) and not a good performer. To Porsche's credit they continued to support the motor for many years even though the whole program was nothing but red ink. Not any more though; current management is much more attuned to the bottom line.

I heard most of the Mooney/Porsches were smashed in one of the hurricanes last year. Waiting for engine conversions. Anyone know for sure?
 
ejensen said:
I heard most of the Mooney/Porsches were smashed in one of the hurricanes last year. Waiting for engine conversions. Anyone know for sure?

A thankful outcome. :)
 
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