Lesson One

1
 Contents
• Development Of Aircraft Power plants
• Uses of Piston-engined Aircraft
• Aircraft Reciprocating Engine Requirements
• Advantages And Disadvantages Of Aircraft Reciprocating
Engines Compared To Other Aircraft Engines
• Classification of Reciprocating Engines
➢Inline Engines
➢Opposed or O-Type Engines (Horizontally Opposed
Engines)
➢V-Type Engines
➢Radial Engines
• Leading Aircraft Piston Engine Manufacturers and Light aircraft
airframe Manufacturers
• Engine Identification
• Cylinder Numbering
• Firing Order 2
Development Of Aircraft
Powerplants

3
 Development Of Aircraft Powerplants

• Since the first internal-combustion engine was successfully

operated, many different types of engines have been
designed.
• Many have been suitable for the operation of automobiles
and/or aircraft, and others have been failures.

4
 Development Of Aircraft Powerplants

• The failures have been the result of

➢ Poor efficiency
➢Lack of dependability (owing to poor design and to
materials which could not withstand the operating
Conditions)
➢High cost of operation
➢Excessive weight for the power produced, and other
deficiencies.

5
 Development Of Aircraft Powerplants

• In 1838 the English inventor William Barnett built a single-

cylinder gas engine which had combustion chambers at
both the top and the bottom of the piston. This engine
burned gaseous fuel rather than the liquid fuel used in the
modem gasoline engine.
• The first practical gas engine was built in 1860 by a French
inventor named Jean Joseph Etienne Lenoir. This engine
utilized illuminating gas as a fuel, and ignition of the fuel
was provided by a battery system.

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 Development Of Aircraft Powerplants
• The first four-stroke-cycle engine was built by August Otto
and Eugen Langen of Germany in 1876. As a result, four-
stroke-cycle engines are often called Otto-cycle engines.
• Otto and Langen also built a two-stroke-cycle engine.
• In the United States, George B. Brayton, an engineer, built
an engine using gasoline as fuel and exhibited it at the
1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia.
• The first truly successful gasoline engine operating
according to the four-stroke-cycle principle was built in
Germany in 1885 by Gottlieb Daimler, who had previously
been associated with Otto and Langen.

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 Development Of Aircraft Powerplants
• The First Successful Airplane Engine in as much as the first
powered flight in an airplane was made by the Wright brothers
on December 17, 1903, it is safe to say that the first successful
gasoline engine for an airplane was the engine used in the
Wright airplane.
• This engine was designed and built by the Wright brothers and
their mechanic, Charles Taylor.

Fig; Early Wright Engine

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 Development Of Aircraft Powerplants

• Aircraft require thrust to produce enough speed for the

wings to provide lift or enough thrust to overcome the
weight of the aircraft for vertical takeoff.
• This thrust, or propulsive force, is provided by a suitable
type of aircraft heat engine.
• All heat engines have in common the ability to convert heat
energy into mechanical energy by the flow of some fluid
mass (generally air) through the engine.

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 Development Of Aircraft Powerplants

• The propellers of aircraft powered by reciprocating or

turboprop engines accelerate a large mass of air at a
relatively lower velocity by turning a propeller.
• Turbojets, ramjets, and pulse jets are examples of engines
that accelerate a smaller quantity of air through a large
velocity change.

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 Development Of Aircraft Powerplants

• Small general aviation aircraft use mostly horizontally

opposed reciprocating piston engines. While some aircraft
still use radial reciprocating piston engines, their use is very
limited.
• Many aircraft use a form of the gas turbine engine to
produce power for thrust. These engines are normally the
turboprop, turboshaft, turbofan, and a few turbojet engines.
“Turbojet” is the former term for any turbine engine. The
Gas Turbine Engine module will be covered later.

11
Power plant Selection

12
 Power plant Selection

• For aircraft whose cruising speed does not exceed 250

mph, the reciprocating engine is the usual choice of power
plant.
• When economy is required in the low speed range, the
conventional reciprocating engine is chosen because of its
excellent efficiency and relatively low cost.
• When high altitude performance is required, the turbo-
supercharged reciprocating engine may be chosen because
it is capable of maintaining rated power to a high altitude
(above 30,000 feet).

13
 Power plant Selection

• Gas turbine engines operate most economically at high

altitudes. Although in most cases the gas turbine engine
provides superior performance, the cost of gas turbine
engines is a limiting factor.
• In the range of cruising speed of 180 to 350 mph, the
turboprop engine performs very well. It develops more
power per pound of weight than does the reciprocating
engine, thus allowing a greater fuel load or payload for
engines of a given power.

14
 Power plant Selection

• From 350 mph up to Mach 0.8–0.9, turbofan engines are

generally used for airline operations.
• Aircraft intended to operate at Mach 1 or higher are
powered by pure turbojet engines/afterburning (augmented)
engines, or low-bypass turbofan engines.

15
 Aircraft Reciprocating engine

• The airplane engine and propeller, often referred to as

power plant, work in combination to produce thrust .The
power plant propels the airplane and drives the various
systems that support the operation of an aero plane.
• Most light aircraft use a four stroke piston engine to
provide propulsion. They are also called reciprocating
engines. The name is derived from the back and forth or
reciprocating movement of the pistons.

16
 Aircraft Reciprocating engine

• The aim of an engine is to convert chemical energy to

useful mechanical energy and turn the propeller, a two
stage process where the chemical energy is initially
converted to heat energy and this heat energy can now be
converted into mechanical energy.
• The process involves making a fuel/air (combustible)
mixture burning it and using the hot expanding gases to
work a piston which in turn drives the crankshaft to which
the propeller is attached.

17
 ****INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT ONE***

QUESTION;
❖Most light aircraft use piston engines as
their power plants. With vivid examples,
describe the uses of piston-engined
aircraft in our daily life.

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Aircraft Reciprocating
Engine Requirements

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 Aircraft Reciprocating Engine Requirements

• Engines used in certificated aircraft must meet the most

rigid requirements imposed on any reciprocating engine.
• Safety is always the paramount consideration, and it takes
precedence over all others.
• But it is also important that the engine meets the
requirements established for its particular use. Some of
these requirements arc discussed below.

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 Aircraft Reciprocating Engine Requirements

Power and Weight

• If the weight of an engine per brake horsepower (called
the specific weight of the engine) is decreased, the
useful load that an aircraft can carry and the performance
of the aircraft obviously are increased.
• Every excess pound of weight carried by an aircraft
engine reduces its performance. Tremendous
improvement in reducing the weight of the aircraft engine
through improved design and metallurgy has resulted in
reciprocating engines with a much improved power-to-
weight ratio (specific power).
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 Aircraft Reciprocating Engine Requirements

Fuel Economy
• The basic parameter for describing the fuel economy of
aircraft engines is usually specific fuel consumption.
• Specific fuel consumption for gas turbines is the fuel flow
measured in (lb/hr) divided by thrust (lb), and for
reciprocating engines the fuel flow (lb/hr) divided by brake
horsepower.

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 Aircraft Reciprocating Engine Requirements
Durability and Reliability
• Simply put, reliability is measured as the mean time
between failures, while durability is measured as the mean
time between overhauls.
• Reliability and durability are built into the engine by the
manufacturer, but the continued reliability of the engine is
determined by the maintenance, overhaul, and operating
personnel.

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 Aircraft Reciprocating Engine Requirements

Operating Flexibility
• Operating flexibility is the ability of an engine to run
smoothly and give desired performance at all speeds from
idling to full-power output.
• The aircraft engine must also function efficiently through all
the variations in atmospheric conditions encountered in
widespread operations.

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 Aircraft Reciprocating Engine Requirements
Compactness (Streamability)
• To affect proper streamlining and balancing of an aircraft,
the shape and size of the engine must be as compact as
possible.
• In single-engine aircraft, the shape and size of the engine
also affect the view of the pilot, making a smaller engine
better from this standpoint, in addition to reducing the drag
created by a large frontal area.
• Weight limitations, naturally, are closely related to the
compactness requirement. The more elongated and spread
out an engine is, the more difficult it becomes to keep the
specific weight within the allowable limits.
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Advantages And Disadvantages Of
Aircraft Reciprocating Engines
Compared To Other Aircraft
Engines

26
 ******In Class Discussion******
❖Discuss the Advantages And Disadvantages
Of Aircraft Reciprocating Engines Compared
To Other Aircraft Engines

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 Classification of
Reciprocating Engines

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 Classification of Reciprocating Engines
• The two primary reciprocating engine designs are;
➢The spark ignition and
➢The compression ignition.
• The main difference between spark ignition and compression
ignition is the process of igniting the fuel.
• Spark ignition engines use a spark plug to ignite a pre-mixed
fuel-air mixture. (Fuel-air mixture is the ratio of the “weight” of
fuel to the “weight” of air in the mixture to be burned.)
• A compression ignition engine first compresses the air in the
cylinder, raising its temperature to a degree necessary for
automatic ignition when fuel is injected into the cylinder.
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 Classification of Reciprocating Engines
• The spark ignition reciprocating engine has served as the
powerplant of choice for many years.
• In an effort to reduce operating costs, simplify design, and
improve reliability, several engine manufacturers are turning
to compression ignition as a viable alternative.
• Often referred to as jet fuel piston engines, compression ignition
engines have the added advantage of utilizing readily available
and lower cost diesel or jet fuel.
• The main mechanical components of the spark ignition and the
compression ignition engine are essentially the same.
• Both use cylindrical combustion chambers and pistons that
travel the length of the cylinders to convert linear motion
into the rotary motion of the crankshaft.
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 Classification of Reciprocating Engines
• The aircraft industry is different from the automobile
industry in that no airframe manufacturers build their own
engines. This allows the engine manufacturers a great
amount of freedom to develop engines suitable for aircraft
built by many different manufacturers.
• These two engine designs discussed above can be further
classified as:
i. Cylinder arrangement with respect to the crankshaft;
radial, in-line, v-type, or opposed
ii. Operating cycle—two or four (will be discussed later)
iii. Method of cooling—liquid or air
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 Method Of Cooling

• Most reciprocating aircraft engines are air cooled although

a few high powered engines use an efficient liquid-cooling
system.
• The main problem with liquid cooling is the added weight of
coolant, heat exchanger (radiator), and tubing to connect
the components.
• Liquid cooled engines do allow high power to be obtained
from the engine safely.

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 Cylinder Arrangement

• One of the most obvious ways to classify aircraft engines is

by the arrangement of the cylinders on the crankcase. Each
arrangement has advantages and disadvantages; the most
commonly used arrangements are discussed below.
➢In line
➢V-type
➢Radial and
➢Opposed

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Inline Engines

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 Inline Engines

• An inline engine generally has an even number of cylinders

that are aligned in a single row parallel with the
crankshaft, although some three-cylinder engines have
been constructed.
• This engine may be either liquid cooled or air cooled and
has only one crank shaft, which is located either above or
below the cylinders.
• If the engine is designed to operate with the cylinders below
the crankshaft, it is called an inverted engine.

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 Inline Engines

Figure. In-line engines

have all of the cylinders
arranged in a single row,
either above or below the
crankcase

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 Inline Engines

Fig; Inline Engine, A typical in-line engine consists of four to six

cylinders and develops anywhere from 90 to 200 horsepower
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Inline Engines

Fig; ADC Cirrus II

aircraft engine at the
Science Museum,
London.

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 Inline Engines
• Types of construction used in in-line engines;
➢Individual cylinders bolted to the crankcase, or
➢All the cylinders cast into a single aluminum alloy
block with steel liners in each of the cylinders.
• The cylinders of an in-line engine may be mounted above
the crankcase in upright engines or below the crankcase in
inverted engines.
• Upright engines are easier to lubricate, but the pilot will
have unrestricted forward visibility with an inverted engine.

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 Inline Engines

• Advantages
➢A comparatively small frontal area and, therefore, allows
for better streamlining.
➢When mounted with the cylinders inverted, the
crankshaft is higher off the ground. The higher crankshaft
allowed greater propeller ground clearance which, in
turn, permitted the use of shorter landing gear.
➢Since in-line engines were used primarily on tail-wheel
aircraft, the shorter main gear provided for increased
forward visibility on the ground.
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 Inline Engines

• Disadvantages
➢In-line engines have relatively low power-to-weight ratios
because of the long, heavy crankshaft this engine
requires.
➢The rearmost cylinders of an air-cooled in-line engine
receive relatively little cooling air, so in-line engines were
typically limited to only four or six cylinders.
➢With these limitations, most in-line engine designs were
confined to low- and medium-horsepower engines used
in light aircraft.
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 Opposed or O-Type
Engines (Horizontally
Opposed Engines)

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 Opposed or O-Type Engines (Horizontally
Opposed Engines)
• The opposed-type engine has two banks of cylinders
directly opposite each other with a crankshaft in the center.
• The pistons of both cylinder banks are connected to the
single crankshaft.
• Today, opposed-type engines are the most popular
reciprocating engines used on light aircraft.
• A typical opposed engine can produce as little as 36
horsepower to as much as 400 horsepower.

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 Opposed or O-Type Engines (Horizontally
Opposed Engines)
• Opposed engines always have an even number of
cylinders, and a cylinder on one side of a crankcase
"opposes" a cylinder on the other side.
• Opposed engines are typically mounted in a horizontal
position when installed on fixed-wing aircraft, but can be
mounted vertically to power helicopters.
• The air-cooled version is used predominantly in aviation.

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 Opposed or O-Type Engines (Horizontally
Opposed Engines)
• Advantages
➢Opposed-type engines have high power-to-weight ratios
because they have a comparatively small, lightweight
crankcase.
➢An opposed engine's compact cylinder arrangement reduces
the engine's frontal area and allows a streamlined installation
that minimizes aerodynamic drag.
➢Opposed engines typically vibrate less than other engines
because an opposed engine's power impulses tend to cancel
each other.
❖Compared to radial engines which have the advantage of being
light weight for the amount of power they produce, they are
difficult to streamline in a narrow fuselage.
❖In comparison to an in-line engine which is easy to streamline
in a narrow fuselage, but it has a high weight for its power.
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 Opposed or O-Type Engines (Horizontally
Opposed Engines)
• Most-certified reciprocating engines built today are
horizontally opposed. Most of these engines have either
four or six cylinders.
❖Propeller end; the end of a reciprocating engine to which
the propeller is attached.
❖Ant propeller end; the end of a reciprocating engine that
does not attach to the propeller.
❖Accessory end; the end of a reciprocating engine on which
many of the accessories are mounted.

46
Opposed or O-Type Engines (Horizontally
Opposed Engines)

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48
V-Type Engines

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 V-Type Engines
• As the name implies, the cylinders of a V-type engine are
arranged around a single crankshaft in two in-line banks that
are 45, 60, or 90 degrees apart.
• One piston in each bank of cylinders connects to each throw of
the crankshaft.
• Since V-type engines had two rows of cylinders, they were
typically capable of producing more horsepower than an in-line
engine.
• Furthermore, since only one crankcase and one crankshaft
were used, most V-type engines had a reasonable power-to-
weight ratio while retaining a small frontal area.
• The cylinders on a V-type engine could be above the crankshaft
or below it, in which case the engine is referred to as an
inverted V-type engine.
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Fig; V-type engines provide an
excellent combination of weight,
power, and small frontal area.

51
 V-Type Engines
• Most V-type engines had 8 or 12 cylinders and were either
liquid-cooled or air cooled.
• The V-12 engines developed during World War II achieved
some of the highest horsepower ratings of any reciprocating
engines, and today are typically found on restored military
and racing aircraft.
• The engines are designated by a V followed by a dash and
the piston displacement in cubic inches. For example, V-
1710. This type of engine was used mostly during the
second World War and its use is mostly limited to older
aircraft.

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Radial Engines

53
 Radial Engines
• The crankshaft in an in-line or V-engine is the heaviest
single component, and in an effort to reduce weight, the
radial engine was developed.
• Radial engines were considered the standard configuration
of aircraft engines for several decades until they were
replaced by turbine engines for high-power applications,
and horizontally opposed engines for low-powered
applications.
• The construction of radial engines is somewhat similar to
that of horizontally opposed engines, but there are some
significant differences which will be discussed later.
54
 Radial Engines

• Radial engines all have an odd number of cylinders in each

row. Three, five, or seven cylinders are common, with nine
cylinders being the most that is practical for one row.
• Radial engines producing less than 200 horsepower usually
have three or five cylinders. Engines producing between
200 and 1,000 horsepower quite often have either seven or
nine cylinders.
• When more than nine cylinders or when more horsepower
is needed, two rows and sometimes four rows of cylinders
are used.

55
 Radial Engines

• The pistons in each row of cylinders are connected to one

throw of the crankshaft through a master rod and link rod
arrangement.
• The largest practical radial engine has 28 cylinders
arranged in four rows of seven cylinders each, the Pratt &
Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major, which has four rows of seven
cylinders driving a four-throw crankshaft.
• The main advantage of radial engine is the favourable
power to weight ratio.

56
Fig; Radial engine. Radial
engines helped revolutionize
aviation with their high
power and dependability. 57
 Radial Engines
• The number of cylinders which make up a row may be
three, five, seven, or nine. Some radial engines have two
rows of seven or nine cylinders arranged radially about the
crankcase, one in front of the other. These are called
double- row radials.
➢ Radial engines are still used
in some older cargo planes,
aerobatic sport planes and
crop spray planes.

58
 Radial Engines Types
• Rotary-type radial engines; The cylinders of a rotary-type
radial engine are mounted radially around a small
crankcase and rotate with the propeller, while the
crankshaft remains stationary.
• Static-type radial engines; These differ from rotary-type
radial engines in that the crankcase is bolted to the airframe
and remains stationary. This dictates that the crankshaft
rotate to turn the propeller. Static-type radial engines have
as few as three cylinders and as many as 28, but it was the
higher horsepower.

59
 NOTE
❖Light aircraft engines have a minimum of four cylinders, not
only for more power but also to obtain smoother power.
They also present a smaller frontal area, therefore reducing
drag.
• An engine can also be classified as:
➢Long Stroke where the stroke is greater than the piston
bore (diameter).
➢Over square or Short Engine where the stroke is less
than the bore.
➢Square where the stroke is equal to the bore.

60
****INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT TWO*****

Question
Discuss the Leading Aircraft Piston
Engine Manufacturers and Light
aircraft airframe Manufacturers.

61
Engine Identification

62
 Engine Identification
• Today, almost all reciprocating engines are identified by a
series of letters and numbers that indicate the type and size
of the engine. For simplicity, most manufacturers use the
same identification system.
➢In most cases, an engine identification code consists of a
letter or series of letters followed by a number and model
designation.
➢The first letters indicate an engine's cylinder arrangement
and basic configuration, and a number to indicate the piston
displacement in cubic inches. This is followed by other letters
to indicate characteristics of the specific engine.
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 Engine Identification
A list of the letters used include:
O - Horizontally opposed engine R - Radial engine
I - In-line engine V - V-type engine
T or TS - Turbo charged I - Fuel injected
S –Supercharged A - Modified for aerobatics
G- Geared nose section (propeller reduction gearing)
L - Left-hand rotation (for multi-engine installations)
H - Horizontal mounting (for helicopters)
V - Vertical mounting (for helicopters)
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 Engine Identification
• The numbers in an engine identification code indicate an
engine's piston displacement in cubic inches
➢For example, an O-320 indicates a horizontally opposed
engine with a displacement of 320 cubic inches.
NOTE 1
• A system of suffix designations has also been established to
provide additional information about engines.
• Some engine identification codes include a letter designation
after the displacement to indicate a model change or
modification to a basic engine. You must check with the
manufacturer's specification sheets to correctly interpret
these letters, their meaning differs among manufacturers.
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 Engine Identification
Example
i. Consider an LIO-360-C engine. This code designates an
engine that has left hand rotation, is fuel injected and
horizontally opposed, displaces 360 cubic inches of
piston displacement, , and is a C model (it is the third
version of this engine.).
ii. As a second example, a GTSIO-520-F engine is geared,
turbo-supercharged, fuel injected, horizontally opposed
displaces 520 cubic inches of piston displacement, and is
an F model.
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 Engine Identification
iii. Third Example, a GTSIO-520-E1B4D engine designates;

67
 Engine Identification
• The first suffix letter indicates the type of power section and the
rating of the engine.
• This letter is followed by a number from 1 to 9, which gives the
design type of the nose section.
• Following the nose-section number is a letter indicating the type
of accessory section,
• And after this letter is a number which tells what type of
counterweight application is used with the crankshaft. This
number indicates the mode of vibration, such as 4, 5, or 6. The
mode number is found on the counterweights or dynamic
balances.
• The final character in the designation suffix may be a letter
indicating the type of magneto utilized with the engine. The
letter D indicates a dual magneto.
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 Engine Identification
NOTE 2
• However, note that many engines are not designated by the
foregoing standardized system.
❖For example, the Continental W-670 engine is a radial
type, whereas the A-65, C-90, and E-225 are all opposed-
type engines.
➢V-type engines and inverted in-line engines have such
designations as V and I.
• In every case, the technician working on an engine must
interpret the designation correctly and utilize the proper
information for service and maintenance.
69
 Engine Identification

• The two- or three-digit numbers in the second part of the

engine designation indicate displacement to the nearest 5
in3. An engine with a displacement of 471 in3 [7.72 liters (L)]
is shown as 470, as is the case with the AVCO Continental
O-470 opposed engine.
• In some cases, the displacement number will end with a
figure other than zero. In such a case, this is a special
indication to reveal a characteristic such as an integral
accessory drive.

70
 Engine Identification

➢Radial engines generally employ only the letter R

followed by the displacement.
• For example, the R-985 is a single-row radial engine
having a displacement of approximately 985 in3 [16.14 L].

71
Cylinder Numbering

72
 Cylinder Numbering

• It is sometimes necessary to refer to a specific area on an

engine or a specific cylinder. Therefore, it is important that
you be familiar with the established engine directions and
the manufacturer's system of cylinder numbering.
• For example, regardless of how an engine is mounted in an
aircraft, the propeller shaft end is always referred to as the
front of an engine, and the accessory end is always the rear
of an engine.

73
 Cylinder Numbering

• Furthermore, when referring to either the right or left side of

an engine, always assume you are viewing the engine from
the rear, or accessory, end.
• By the same token, crankshaft rotation is also referenced
from the rear of an engine and is specified as either
clockwise or counterclockwise.

74
 Cylinder Numbering
Radial Engines
• Single-row radial engine cylinders are numbered
consecutively starting with the top cylinder and progressing
clock- wise as viewed from the rear of the engine.
• However, on double-row radial engines, all odd-numbered
cylinders are in the rear row, and all even numbered
cylinders are in the front row.
• For example, the top cylinder of the rear row is the number
one cylinder, while the number two cylinder is the first
cylinder in the front row clockwise from the number one
cylinder.The number three cylinder is the next cylinder
clockwise from the number two cylinder but is in the rear
row. [Figure below]
75
Cylinder Numbering-Radial Engines

Figure; Looking from the

accessory end forward, all single-
row radial engines are numbered
consecutively beginning at the top
cylinder and progressing
clockwise (around the engine in
the direction of rotation). On twin-
row radials, however, the front row
of cylinders are all even numbered
while the rear row of cylinders are
odd numbered.
76
 Cylinder Numbering

Opposed Engines (Horizontally Opposed Engines)

• The two major manufacturers or horizontally opposed
engines in the United States are AVCO-Continental Motors
(ACM) and Textron Lycoming.
• The engines produced by both manufacturers have the
cylinders on one side slightly offset from those on the
opposite side so each connecting rod has its own throw on
the crankshaft.

77
Cylinder Numbering-Horizontally Opposed Engines

• The numbering system used on an opposed engine is not

standard. For example, while both AVCO Continental and
Textron-Lycoming make four- and six-cylinder horizontally
opposed engines, each manufacturer uses a different
cylinder numbering system.
• As an example, Continental starts its cylinder numbering
with the most rearward cylinder while Lycoming begins with
the most forward.
• About the only similarity between the two systems is that
the odd numbered cylinders are on the right while the even
numbered cylinders are on the left. [Figure below]
78
Cylinder Numbering-Horizontally Opposed
Engines

79
Cylinder Numbering-Horizontally Opposed Engines

80
 Cylinder Numbering
Inline and V-type engines
• The front and rear sides of an engine are not determined by
the way the engine is mounted in the aircraft, but are
designated as the propeller and anti propeller, or accessory,
ends. The left and right side are determined by looking
toward the propeller from the accessory end.
➢Cylinder number one on an in-line engine is the cylinder
nearest the accessory end, and the numbers progress
toward the propeller.
➢Cylinders on a V-engine are numbered in the same way,
but you identify the left and right banks by looking from the
accessory end toward the propeller, regardless of the way
the engine is installed in the aircraft.
81
Cylinder Numbering-Inline and V-type engines

Figure; the cylinders of an

in-line or V-engine are
numbered beginning at
the accessory end of the
engine. The left and right
banks of a V-engine are
determined by looking
from the accessory end
toward the propeller.

82
Firing Order

83
 Firing Order
• An engine's firing order represents the sequence in which
the ignition event occurs in different cylinders.
• Each engine is designed with a specific firing order to
maintain balance and reduce vibration.
• The smoothness with which a reciprocating engine runs is
determined by the spacing and the timing of the firing
impulses.
• An engine is inherently smooth when all of the firing
impulses are separated by an equal number of degrees of
crankshaft rotation; the closer together the firing impulses,
the smoother the engine.

84
 Firing Order-Radial Engines
➢In radial engines, the firing order must follow a specific pattern that
allows the power impulses to follow the motion of the crank throw
during rotation.
Single-Row Radial Engines
• On a single-row radial engine, all the odd-numbered cylinders fire
in numerical succession; then, the even numbered cylinders fire in
numerical succession.
• On a five-cylinder radial engine, for example, the firing order is 1-3-
5-2-4.
• And on a seven-cylinder radial engine it is 1-3-5-7-2-4-6.
• The firing order of a nine-cylinder radial engine is 1-3-5-7-9-2-4-6-8.
❖All cylinders fire in two revolutions (720°) of crankshaft rotation.
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Firing Order-Radial Engines

86
 Firing Order-Radial Engines

Double-Row Radial Engines

• A double-row radial engine is essentially two single-row
radial engines that share a common crank shaft. Like the
single-row radial, the power pulses must occur between
alternate cylinders in each row, in sequence.
• In other words, two cylinders in the same row can never fire
in succession.
• In addition, to balance the power pulses between the two
rows, when a cylinder fires in one row, its opposite cylinder
must fire in the second row.
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 Firing Order-Radial Engines
Double-Row Radial Engines
• A method for computing the firing order of a 14 cylinder,
double-row radial engine is to start with any cylinder number,
1 through 14 and either add 9 or subtract 5, whichever results
in a n umber between 1 and 14. Once complete, the identical
firing order of 1-10-5-14-9-4-13-8-3-12-7-2-11-6 results.
• To determine the firing order of an 18 cylinder, double-row
radial engine, the numbers 11 and 7 are used; that is, begin
with any cylinder number from 1 to 18 and either add 11 or
subtract 7, whichever will result in a number between 1 and
18. Once these numbers are applied, you should arrive at a
firing order of 1-12-5-16-9-2-13-6-17-10-3-14-7-18-11-4-15-8.
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 Firing Order-Inline Engines
Four -cylinder in-line engine
• The crankshaft in a four-cylinder in-line engine has two sets
of throws, 180° apart. The throws for cylinders 1 and 4 are
together, and the throws for cylinders 2 and 3 are together.
and are 180° from those for 1 and 4.
• The pistons in cylinders 1 and 4 are at the top of their
stroke at the same time the pistons in cylinders 2 and 3 are
at the bottom of their strokes.
• This movement of the pistons gives the engines a firing
order of 1-2-4-3 or 1-3-4-2.

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 Firing Order-Inline Engines
Six -cylinder in-line engine
• The crankshaft used in a six -cylinder in-line engine has
three sets of throws, 120° apart. The throws for cylinders 1
and 6 are together, and 120° from those are the throws for
cylinders 2 and 5. 120° from 2 and 5 are the throws for
cylinders 3 and 4.
• With this arrangement, the pistons in cylinders 1and 6 come
to the top of their stroke together; then 120° later, pistons 2
and 5; and then 120° later, pistons 3 and 4.
• This type of crankshaft gives the engine a firing order of 1-
5-3-6-2-4.

90
Firing Order-Inline Engines

Figure; Firing order for in-line

engines

91
 Firing Order- V-Engines

• V-8 engines are essentially two four-cylinder banks on a

single crankcase, with one cylinder in each bank sharing a
crankshaft throw. The left bank fires 1-2-4-3, and the right
bank fires 4-3-1-2.
• A V-12 engine has two banks of six cylinders firing the
same sequence, but the right bank starts its firing at the
opposite end of the engine.

92
Firing Order- V-Engines

Figure; Firing order for V-

engines

93
 Firing Order-Horizontally Opposed Engines

• Both AVCO-Continental Motors (ACM) and Textron-

Lycoming make four- and six-cylinder horizontally opposed
engines.
• Their four-cylinder engines use a 180° crankshaft and their
six-cylinder engines use a 60° crankshaft.
• Textron-Lycoming also makes an eight-cylinder horizontally
opposed engine with a 90° crankshaft.

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 Firing Order-Horizontally Opposed Engines

• The right-hand bank of cylinders on ACM engines are offset to

the rear of the cylinders on the left side, and cylinder number
1 is the right rear cylinder. The firing order for a four-cylinder
ACM engine is 1-4-2-3. The firing order for a six cylinder ACM
engine is 1-6-3-2-5-4.
• The right-hand bank or cylinders on Textron-Lycoming
engines are offset forward and cylinder number 1 is the right
front cylinder. The firing order for a Textron-Lycoming engine
is 1-3-2-4, for a six-cylinder engine it is 1-4-5 2-3-6, and for an
eight-cylinder engine it is 1-5-8-3-2-6-7-4.

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Firing Order-Horizontally Opposed Engines

Figure; Firing order

for horizontally
opposed engines

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 Firing Order
Caution
• A four cylinder Continental model O-200-A has a firing order
of 1-3-2-4. By the same token, a four cylinder Lycoming
model O-320-E3D has the same firing order, but the
cylinders are numbered differently.
• Note that other models may have different firing order and
cylinders numbered differently. For this reason, caution
should be exercised and manufacturer's maintenance
instructions followed carefully. Figure below.

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Firing Order-Caution

Figure; Notice that the firing

pattern and cylinder
numbering method varies
between engine
manufacturers and engine
model.

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 END

NEXT

LESSON TWO

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