This page includes data, discussion, and links for those interested in
aircraft engines, both certified and uncertified.
Last update: 26 April 2008.
Engine and Related Home PagesThis section contains
links to sites addressing alternative aircraft engines, then general links to
other engine sites. No endorsement is made for any of these sites or their
products.
I´ve made an attempt to split these into categories and sub-categories.
If you don´t see exactly what you´re looking for, search around a bit...I may
have put it under the wrong heading.
A compilation of
potential aero engines can be found on Jack Ericson´s Horizontally-Opposed
Piston Aero Engines page.
Automobile and Other Conversions
- General Information
- BMW
- Chevrolet
- Corvair
- William Wynne operates as Flycorvair.com .
- Venturay offers
both a detailed Corvair rebuilding guide as well as selling pre-converted
engines.
- Mark
Langford´s putting a Corvair into his KR-2.
- OMABP The Old
Man´s Aircraft Building Project is currently flying a Chevy V-6 in an RV-6.
- Geo
- Harley-Davidson
- Hog Air is developing a
motorcycle-engine conversion for a Zenair Zodiac.
- Honda
- Mazda
- Rotary Engines (Mazda, etc.)
- Subaru
- Suzuki
- Ruben and Carlos
Leon used two Suzuki engines and a pair of coaxial propellers to power
their Cozy Mk IV.
- Volkswagen
- Volvo
- A Volvo auto engine installed in a Piper Pawnee (see Page 3 of
newsletter). They´ve also got a Cessna 172 flying on a Volvo 850
engine.
PSRUs
Alternate EnginesThese are engines that are
purpose-built for aircraft use (but not certified), Non-US engines, or
conversion of non-automotive engines. I´ve also lumped in general
technical-data sites in this area
Certified Engine Sites
Engine Maintenance and AdviceThere are a number of
folks who answer questions on engines on various mailing lists.
Occasionally, they´ll set up a web page of summaries of their answers. I
don´t make any claims as to the accuracy of the advice given...
- Monty
the Answer Man archive. For Continental C-125, C-145, and O-300
engines. From the Globe Temco Swift Homepage.
- Harry
Fenton Hints and Tips on Small Continental Engines. For Continental
A65, C-75, C-85, C-90, and O-200 engines. From the Unofficial Fly
Baby Home Page.
- The Sacramento Sky
Ranch page has an engine troubleshooting section.
- The Zeftronics Troubleshooting page helps chase down problems with
your generator/alternator.
- R. S. Hoover´s Engine Articles. Bob is a very knowledgable
writer who posts articles on homebuilding to the USENET newsgroups. I´ve
got links to many of his articles on my main page, but these are
the ones about engines. These links take you to the article in the Google Groups archive. Please note that Bob is a
professional writer, and if you´d like to re-print his articles, you should
get his permission, first. Email him at veeduber@aol.com.
- Aircraft valve
lifters spalling page - mostly applicable to Lycoming O-320
Engine Weights and HorsepowerThe data for the
certified engines came from Janes; the data on the auto-engine conversions came
from the company selling the conversion. Some folks have reported different
experiences, noteably certified engines that weigh more than the values given
here. Dirk Rackley´s detailed list of certified engines, for instance, gives
different weights. His list follows this one.
For auto-engine buffs, you can get a nice list of car-engine weights at Dave Williams´
Engine Weights FYI page. Engine HP Weight(lbs) Comments
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rotax 503 50 85
Great Plains VW 1600CC 55 160
Hirth F23-EP2 60 70
Jabira 60 119
HKS 700E 60 120
PZL 2A-120 60 129
Rotax 582 63 95 Includes 20 lbs radiator, etc.
Continental A-65 65 173
Limbach L 1800 66 154
Limbach L 1700 66 161
Rotax 618 74 136 Includes 20 lbs radiator, etc.
Great Plains VW 2180CC 75 165
Franklin 225 75 230
Limbach L 2000 80 155
Rotax 912 80 165 Includes 20 lbs radiator, et
Continental C-85 85 207
AMW-225-3 90 100 (Thanks, Juan!)
Limbach L 2400 94 181
Continental C-90 95 207
Great Plains VW 2600CC 96 190
Stratus Subaru EA-81 100 205
Continental O-200 100 220
CAM-100 100 225 Includes 20 lbs radiator, etc
Formula Power C100 104 210
Rotax 914 115 155
Lycoming O-235 115 215
PZL 4A-235 116 226
Hirth F30-FP24 120 101
Continental IO-240 125 250
Continental O-300 145 277
Lycoming O-320-A 150 243
Lycoming O-320-D 160 253
Franklin 335 165 320
Formula Power F170 174 270
Lycoming O-360-A 180 265
Lycoming IO-360-A 200 293
NW Aero Ford V6 200 415
PZL 6A-350 205 330
Continental IO-360 210 350
NW Aero Chevy V6 230 420
Lycoming O-540-B 235 366
Lycoming O-540-E 260 368
Formula Power F260 274 390
Lycoming IO-540-K 300 443
Continental IO-520 300 459
Lycoming IO-720 400 568
Certified Engine Weights and HorsepowerThis list
was assembled by Dirk Rackley, and posted to rec.aviation.homebuilt by Paul
Lamar. Engine Horsepower Weight
-----------------------------------
O-200-A 100 190
O-200-B 100 220
O-300-A 145 268
O-300-E 145 268
IO-346 165 297
IO-360-B 210 327
TSIO-360-A 210 334
O-470-J 225 381
O-470-R 230 438
O-470-13 225 414
O-470-15 190 405
IO-470-C 250 432
IO-470-D 260 426
IO-470-E 260 461
IO-470-F 260 464
IO-470-V 260 472
TSIO-470-D 260 511
IO-520-L 285 466
O-235-C1B 115 240
O-290-D2C 140 263
O-320-A2B 150 272
O-320-A2C 150 271
O-320-B2C 160 277
O-320-D2A 160 277
O-320-E2A 160 277
IO-320-B1A 160 285
IO-320-C1A 160 294
IO-320-E2A 150 280
O-360-A1D 180 284
O-360-A3A 180 285
IO-360-A1A 200 320
IO-360-B1B 180 295
IMO-360-B1B 225 274
GO-480-B1D 270 432
GO-480-G1D6 295 437
IGO-480-A1B6 295 469
IGSO-480-A1F6 340 498
O-540-A1A5 250 396
O-540-B2B5 235 395
O-540-B4B5 235 395
O-540-B4B5 260 398
IO-540-A1A5 290 437
IO-540-C4B5 250 402
IO-540-D4A5 260 402
IO-540-E1A5 290 437
IO-540-G1A5 290 443
IO-540-J4A5 250 409
IO-540-K1A5 300 470
AEIO-540-L1B5D 300 476
IGO-540-B1C 350 500
IGSO-540-A1D 380 530
IGSO-540-B1A 380 532
TIO-540-A1A 310 535
TIO-541-E1A6 380 632
TIOGO-541-A1A 400 663
IO-720-A1A 400 597
Structural EfficienciesPaul Lamar assembled this list
to compare the overall structural efficiencies of various aircraft. He
originally sorted the list by the ratio of the empty weight divided by the gross
weight. I prefer ratios where "higher is better", so I have calculated the
"Payload Percentage": The ratio of useful load vs. gross weight. The higher the
percentage, the more efficient your aircraft is. GROSS EMPTY USEFUL PAYLOAD
AIRCRAFT WEIGHT WEIGHT LOAD PERCENTAGE
-----------------------------------------------------------
Avid 582 1150 510 640 55
Pulsar 582 1000 460 540 54
Murphy 503 850 395 455 53
Lightning Bug AMW 800 375 425 53
Pulsar XP 912 1060 510 550 51
Z. Zodiac 912 1200 580 620 51
Falconar F-12A 1800 898 902 50
Cessna 185 3350 1687 1663 49
Rutan Varieze 1050 535 515 49
Cozy Mark IV 2050 1050 1000 48
Wag CUB alike 1400 720 680 48
Berkut 2000 1035 965 48
KIS TR-4 2300 1200 1100 47
Cessna 207 3800 1996 1804 47
Dragonfly 1150 610 540 46
Rand KR-2S 980 520 460 46
BD-5 Zenoah 660 355 305 46
Velocity 173 RG 2400 1300 1100 45
Velocity 173 2400 1300 1100 45
GlasStar 1650 900 750 45
Murphy O-235 1650 900 750 45
Grumman Tiger 2400 1311 1089 45
Lancair IV 3200 1750 1450 45
Cozy Classic 1750 960 790 45
Super Emeraude 1545 850 695 44
Dyke Delta 1950 1080 870 44
Velocity 2250 1250 1000 44
Velocity RG 2250 1250 1000 44
E-Racer 1800 1000 800 44
KIS TD O-235 1450 812 638 44
KIS Sup IO-240 1450 820 630 43
BD-4 2000 1140 860 43
Express Loadmaster 3200 1825 1375 42
Lancair ES 2800 1600 1200 42
Glasair II 2100 1200 900 42
Avid O-320 1750 1000 750 42
BD-5 TurboPro 890 510 380 42
Stallion 3300 1900 1400 42
Cessna 182 2950 1717 1233 41
WLAC-1 W.L. 4p 2400 1400 1000 41
Wittman W1 1425 840 585 41
Express FT 2850 1700 1150 40
Mooney 201 2740 1640 1100 40
Glasair II RG 2200 1325 875 39
Questair Sprit 1700 1025 675 39
RV-6 1600 965 635 39
RV-4 1500 905 595 39
BD-6 675 410 265 39
Mustang II 1600 975 625 39
Helio Super Courier 3400 2080 1320 38
Highlander 1165 715 450 38
Acro 1 1222 750 472 38
P51 11600 7125 4475 38
Thorp T-18 1500 923 577 38
Questair Venture 2000 1240 760 38
GP-4 2000 1240 760 38
Cessna 150 1600 1000 600 37
Bonanza V35B 3400 2151 1249 36
Omega II 2100 1350 750 35
Falco 1880 1212 668 35
One Design 1140 740 400 35
Lancair 32 1685 1095 590 35
Glassair III 2500 1625 875 35
Pitts S-1S 1150 750 400 34
Giles G-200 1150 750 400 34
Turner T-40A 1600 1050 550 34
MJ-5 Sirocco 1860 1260 600 32
Midget Mustang 1000 680 320 32
RV-3 1100 750 350 31
BF-109 6090 4180 1910 31
Eagle II 1578 1125 453 28
Stewart S51D 2960 2200 760 25
Some Books on EnginesCourtesy of Paul Lamar:
- A History of Aircraft Piston Engines, published by Sunflower
University Press Inc. 1531 Yuma, Manhattan, Kansas 66502-4228. This is a
reprint of a book originally published by McGraw Hill in 1981. There are 250
pages, sized 8.5 by 11 inches. There are many tables listing every engine ever
put in an airplane with all important specifications including weight. There
are many photos and drawings of all types of aircraft engines.
- Schneider Trophy Racers by Robert S. Hirsch. Motorbooks
International Osceola WI. Excellent history of the water cooled V12 leading up
to the Merlin. Lots of good drawings done by the author and photos.
- Sky Ranch Engineering Manual by John Schwaner This book presents an
excellent overview of the problems of aircraft engines. It is 500 pages and a
bargain at only $23. There are many details on the materials and processes
used to build a successful aircraft engine. There is a very good and
exhaustive discussion of destructive torsional vibrations and fatigue. The
telephone number to buy this book is (916) 421 7672. John is highly thought of
in the experimental aircraft community. [Ron W´s Note: I´ll second the
recommendation for this book...]
- The Internal Combustion Engine in Theory and Practice, two volumes
by Charles Fayette Taylor. For those of you with an engineering degree or
equivalent, this series is the best there is. The MIT Press Cambridge
Massachusetts, and London England. AutoBooks in Burbank CA.
- Volume 1: Thermodynamics, Fluid Flow, Performance. Second Edition
Revised.
- Volume 2: Combustion, Fuels, Materials, Design. Revised
- Introduction to the Study of Aircraft Vibration and Flutter by
Robert H. Scanlan & Robert Rosenbaum, Dover Publications touches on
crankshaft design. Lib Cong 68-22341.
- Photo-Elastic Analysis by A. W. Hendry, Pergamon Press.
Investigates stress concentrations in complex machine parts such as
crankshafts and connecting rods. L of C # 65-29062. Only recently has computer
finite element analyses developed to the point of perhaps doing a better job
on crankshafts than these techniques invented in the 30´s. The book has a
great bibliography on the subject.
- Rotary Engine by Kenichi Yamamoto, published by Toyo Kogyo Co. Ltd.
(Mazda) in 1969. The definitive book on the rotary. This is a highly technical
book chronicling the development of the wankel by Mazda. Kenichi is an
engineer and has risen to be CEO of Mazda.
- The Wankel RC Engine Design and Performance by R. F. Ansdale.
Published by A. S. Barnes & Company, L of C 69-18692. This book will be
easier to find then the Toyo Kogyo book.
- The development of Piston Aero Engines by Bill Gunston, 1993, 1994,
1995. ISBN 1 85260 385 2. Patrick Stevens Limited/Haynes Publishing Sparkford
Nr Yeovil, Somerset, BA227JJ. Hard bound 213 pages. $39.95 at the Wright Pat
Airforce Museum. The first half of the book is on basic principles and engine
design. For the most part this is very well done for the
non-physicist/non-engineer reader. The middle is a history of of the
development of aircraft engines. The last chapter; "Chapter 8 Piston Engines
Today and Tomorrow" categorizes engines by air cooled, liquid cooled, diesels
and unconventional. All engines are included world wide no matter how obscure,
starting with low power engines for ultra-lights through auto engine
conversions. The major fault with this chapter is all engines are listed from
PR information regardless if they have run or even flown for that matter.
Lamar´s final assessment of this book: "I think Bill Gunston is a little
gullible. Other than that the book seems to be excellent."
- Allied Aircraft Piston Engines of World War II by Grame White,
1995. Published by the Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc. 400 Commonwealth
Drive Warrendale PA 15096-0001 (412) 7765 4841 Fax (412) 776 5760 8.5" by 11"
hard bound 400 pages. ISBN 1-56091- 655-9. Lots of good drawing, excellent
cutaways and illustrations as well as photographs. Lamar´s comment:
"Surprisingly not too technical despite the publisher. This is a well
researched book but rather disappointing to me as I would like to see a lot
more technical information about power curves verses BFSC, TBO´s and such. I
expected more technical information from the SAE."
Courtesy of Juan
Jimenez:
- The Two-Stroke Cycle Engine : Its Development, Operation, and
Design by John B. Heywood, Eran Sher, Society of Automotive
Engineers Summarizing the dispersed literature on the two-stroke cycle
form of the internal combustion engine used in everything from chainsaws and
motorcycles to marine propulsions and power generation, Heywood (mechanical
engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and Sher (mechanical
engineering, Ben-Gurion U.) overview the principles, operating
characteristics, applications, and history of this widely-used engine concept.
They evaluate types of models (gasoline as well as diesel-fueled); review the
experimental methods used in development and testing; and address design
issues. Illustrated coverage also includes: mathematical models of the
scavenging process, combustion, emissions formation and control, and
lubrication and wear. (Book News).
- Converting Auto Engines for Experimental Aircraft, by Richard Finch
Credits: www.wanttaja.com / ron@wantajja.com |
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