14 Facts About Aircraft engines

Inline engines were common in early aircraft; one was used in the Wright Flyer, the aircraft that made the first controlled powered flight.

Opposed-type Aircraft engines have high power-to-weight ratios because they have a comparatively small, lightweight crankcase.

Opposed, air-cooled four- and six-cylinder piston engines are by far the most common engines used in small general aviation aircraft requiring up to 400 horsepower per engine.

An H configuration engine is essentially a pair of horizontally opposed Aircraft engines placed together, with the two crankshafts geared together.

However, the gyroscopic effects of the heavy rotating engine produced handling problems in aircraft and the engines consumed large amounts of oil since they used total loss lubrication, the oil being mixed with the fuel and ejected with the exhaust gases.

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Engine designers had always been aware of the many limitations of the rotary engine so when the static style Aircraft engines became more reliable and gave better specific weights and fuel consumption, the days of the rotary engine were numbered.

In general, Diesel Aircraft engines are more reliable and much better suited to running for long periods of time at medium power settings.

Thielert Aircraft Engines converted Mercedes Diesel automotive engines, certified them for aircraft use, and became an OEM provider to Diamond Aviation for their light twin.

Turboshaft Aircraft engines are used primarily for helicopters and auxiliary power units.

Reaction engines generate the thrust to propel an aircraft by ejecting the exhaust gases at high velocity from the engine, the resultant reaction of forces driving the aircraft forwards.

Low-bypass Aircraft engines are preferred for military applications such as fighters due to high thrust-to-weight ratio, while high-bypass Aircraft engines are preferred for civil use for good fuel efficiency and low noise.

Rocket engines are not used for most aircraft as the energy and propellant efficiency is very poor, but have been employed for short bursts of speed and takeoff.

Aircraft reciprocating engines are typically designed to run on aviation gasoline.

Model aircraft typically use nitro engines powered by glow fuel, a mixture of methanol, nitromethane, and lubricant.