Questions tagged [piston-engine]
Piston (reciprocating) aircraft engines are internal combustion engines, similar to the type found in most automobiles. They are typically gasoline powered.
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Rotax 912 ULS operates well on ground but poorly in air
I have a Rotax 912 ULS in a pusher configuration.
On the ground, run-up is good, the carburetors are balanced, both sides EGT are almost exactly the same, and there is no fouling on any plug.
However, ...
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How can I find the minimum and maximum airspeeds for efficiency with a specific prop/engine combination?
I'm operating a Cessna 180 with various wing and weight mods with a TCM IO550D engine and a McCauley Black Mac (D3A34C401/90DFA-2 3 blade (88 inch) seaplane prop. I operate Lean of Peak (LOP) for most ...
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Which Piston General Aviation Aircraft Engine Has the Longest TBO?
After doing some initial research, it appears most GA piston engines have a recommended Time Between Overhaul of around 2,000 hours. I was wondering if there are any other engines that may have a ...
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Turbocharged vs Turboprop cruise altitudes
I know that both turbocharged & turboprop engines offer better performance above 10,000 feet than normally aspirated piston aircraft. My question is to what degree do their optimal cruise ...
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Why weren't WWII piston aircraft able to fly at 500mph?
So, I just noticed that typical WWII piston engine fighter aircraft had a power to weight ratio of around 300W/kg, even at gross weight and altitude. This means that if we assume that an aircraft has ...
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What is the general operating temperature of Free Piston Turbine Engines?
The turbine in turbine engines can face temperatures from the combustion chamber up to 1700ºC, but I can't find any information on the operational temperature of free piston turbine engines.
I'm ...
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Thrust produced by a Lycoming O-360
How would I determine the thrust produced by a Lycoming O-360? I have looked for conversions of horsepower to pounds of thrust but have not had any success.
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Effects of lead on engines and engine oil
I'm aware of the issues of spark plug fouling and lead deposits that tetraethyl lead can have on an aircraft engine, but what effects do lead and its compounds (metallic Pb, PbO, PbCl2, PbBr2) have on ...
user26259
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How big would a single propeller need to be on a 737?
If you wanted a 737 to have the same design as a single prop light aircraft (i.e. just one prop on the nose, no turbines, APUs or other engines) - how big (and how fast) would the propeller have to be ...
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What is ACS on a magneto switch?
I was looking at a magneto switch and the text ACS below attracted my attention. What is its meaning and function?
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Will accidentally using 1 quart of non-mineral oil during engine break in cause engine damage or lead to increased wear in the future?
One of the aircraft I rent is a Piper Warrior (PA-28) with a Lycoming O-320-D2A. I accidentally put regular oil in it today rather than mineral oil. The engine had run 20 or so hours since its ...
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Manifold Pressure System
Hi to all. I read about how MAP works and have a question. Do constant speed planes like the c182 or pa44 have an additional Venturi (apart from the one in the carburetor) in the induction system past ...
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Diesel engines market share in Piston Airplanes market
I am just trying to understand the diesel engines market-share in the piston airplanes market.
Any experience or idea about that ? Just to understand if it is 1% or 10% or more.
Thanks in advance for ...
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Constant Speed Prop Power Settings [duplicate]
I'm studying the performance data for a Piper Arrow with a constant speed propeller. The rule of thumb that I've heard is not to let manifold pressure go above RPM. This performance data seems to show ...
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Which engine is more financially economical to operate, a turboprop or gasoline engine?
I've seen a discussion about this somewhere before. I'm aware that there's no real way to calculate this. So rather then comparing weight and volume for efficiency, let's compare prices. Which engine ...
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Need help identifying a radial aircraft engine
I work at the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum in Rio Grande NJ. We just acquired what we believe to be a radial aircraft engine that was found by fisherman in the Atlantic Ocean. We'd ...
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Is there a simple formula for estimating supercharger throttling losses?
I’ve noticed that in both Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators, and most old WWII engine power charts, power vs altitude seems to be composed almost entirely of linear relationships: at a given ...
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Statistically, Is engine calendar TBO honored more in the breach or the observance?
Surprisingly to me, Lycoming and Continental engines have a recommended overhaul interval (TBO) of 12 years, while Rotax engines have a 15-year TBO. This suggests that engines should undergo frequent ...
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Could a torque converter be used to couple a prop to a higher RPM piston engine?
Every RPM reduction gearbox I look at seems to have more parts in it than a Swiss watch. Great for keeping time but many parts to wear and breakdown.
What seems especially worrisome is the direct ...
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Why are aircraft piston engines are so low rpm lazy engines?
I understand that the propeller speed should not be too much otherwise it will stall at the tip and be useless so higher rpm engine would be useless when we first think about it. However, we can put a ...
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Why do beechcraft aircraft start with full mixture and throttle?
I've noticed that barons and bonanza's tend to start with full throttle and mixture. Why do they this as opposed to other aircraft that keep throttle at 1/4 inch and put full mixture forward for a few ...
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What is the function of the pipe referred to as "Venting Pipe" in the picture and how is it different from the exhaust pipe?
What is the function of the pipe referred to as "Venting Pipe" in the picture and how is it different from the exhaust pipe? The two photos you see in the picture are the "Venting Pipe&...
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Where exactly is the engine compartment, remarked in yellow?
Where exactly is the engine compartment, remarked in yellow? We know that normally the air going to the engine passes through the air filter. But when we open the alternate air valve, where does the ...
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Why is carb icing an issue in aircraft when it is not an issue in a land vehicle?
As far as I know, the mechanics and physics of an aircraft carburetor are the same as those of an automobile carb. (If I'm wrong, there is no basis for this question.) Aircraft carbs are provided with ...
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How much horsepower do I need for my paramotor?
Assuming my full kit and I weigh 82kg total, I have estimated that I need 5hp. To calculate this, I used the formula:
weight force (W) is F = m g
W= 82kg*9.8 ms/2 =401.8 Newtons
Now, if the drag ratio ...
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Why does airspeed increase with more throttle if RPM stays the same?
Given a constant speed propeller, the RPM will stay the same because of the governing system which changes the blade angle. But in cruise flight if you add more power and keep the RPM's the same, ...
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In what way is a Rotax 914 F2/S1 different from a standard 914 F2?
Rotax manufactures the 914 F2/S1 variant, which is (at least) used in Stemme's S10 and S12 self-launching gliders.
What are the differences between the F2 and the F2/S1?
Bonus question: Why have any ...
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Estimating piston-engine thrust on take-off
In my Uni course I've learnt how a piston-engine produces a constant power, as opposed to a constant thrust like in a jet engine, which can be estimated as Thrust = Power / Velocity. However, using ...
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Jumo 222 What are the design choices that lead to this particular nose cone and spinning cowling setup?
Looking for Jumo 222 powered aircraft, I came across this picture of a Junker Ju 288, with this strange spinning cowling and propeller setup, what are the considerations behind this design, how does ...
user21228
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Why was my Exhaust Gas Temperature considerably lower than usual?
I have been trying to understand the exact details of an EGT gauge, specifically to understand why on a recent flight it was (for a short time) reading much lower than I would have expected.
I would ...
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Why do older pistons crank for a while before starting?
Watching older planes startup I noticed they crank for a little bit before starting. Why do they also shoot out flames when starting? Mostly in Mustangs and Spitfires.
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Is a Cessna 162 safe to fly if engine RPM drops by 160 on one magneto?
On a Cessna 162, during engine runup I switch to one mag, and the engine RPM dropped by 50, but on the other mag the RPM dropped by 160 while the POH says maximum allowable drop is 150. Is this plane ...
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Do constant speed propellers actually increase fuel efficiency?
I have a few questions regarding constant speed props. As a pilot who just recently moved up to aircraft equipped with constant speed props (Cessna 182, Piper Dakota), I understand that a constant ...
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Why isn't Yamaha EPeX300Ti more popular in aviation?
The answer to this question might be obvious to experienced aviators. But as an armchair enthusiast, I really couldn't find a satisfactory answer anywhere on the internet.
Below two pages came from ...
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What's the reason of engine roughness while leveling off from climb or recovering from stall?
I want to find out that if relative wind pressure can affect engine or not.
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Why does engine temperature rise upon applying carburetor heat?
When carb heat is applied, the mixture enriches due to hotter and less-dense air mixing with the fuel. But a richer mixture has the side effect of cooling the engine down. So why does carb heat cause ...
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Could a Continental R-670 piston engine run with regular car gasoline?
I know that the minimum octane for the R-670 is 65 octanes (W670-K variant). I also noticed that other variants increase compression ratio and power using a minimum of 80 octane. Why there is an ...
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static thrust vs. prop RPM data?
edit: question was too long, and is actually simple, so I removed unneccesary description
Background:
There are many questions here about:
propeller efficiency
changes to thrust when it is dynamic
...
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What happens if you change power setting with constant mixture setting?
For a given Cruise Setting: Manifold set / RPM set / Mixture set according to P.O.H. values: what happens to the Mixture if you were to reduce power or increase Power by varying throttle? Does a ...
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Propulsion/ power plant
Let’s say I require 100Hp as stated by my calculations of Thrust for an aircraft-
When finding a power plant for this, would it be better to use a power plant with more Hp or exactly that 100Hp please?...
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Are these units correct for Hp/W
using the table provided, and how it says the Velocity should be in mph, is it correct to say that the units of Hp/W from this table is mph also?
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Are rotary engines the same as piston engines?
I’m researching into piston engine powered, propeller driven aircraft.
However, I’m really struggling to find manufacturers that make "piston engines".
For example, I came across Rotron, but ...
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Why do propeller driven planes have intakes/inlets, such as this one on the P-51 Mustang?
Specifically talking about the p51, why do they have intakes? Don't propeller-driven planes not require any sort of intake because the propeller is what propels it by pushing air behind it?
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What downsides could there be to not letting your engine's oil temperature get above the given limit to taxi/take off before you do so?
I'm not a pilot, and I'm sure most pilots who fly piston aircraft would know this, but what could happen if you operate an aircraft with an oil temperature lower than what the checklist says you ...
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How does detonation and pre-ignition affect EGT/CHT readings?
I've read that during engine detonation EGT decreases and CHT increases. In contrast, when pre-ignition occurs both EGT and CHT will rapidly increase.
Unfortunately, I can't find a good explanation ...
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Am I calculating the fuel consumption correctly?
I'm trying to calculate the fuel consumption for l550e engine. In its datasheet you can see this graph:
At 6500 RPM, engine power is around 48hp and the SFC is 345g/HPh. Ok, then the fuel consumption ...
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Why does a fuel-injected engine have a mixture control?
For example, in a C172S fuel injected type, what does the mixture control lever control exactly in the fuel system?
They have a fuel air control unit which regulates fuel flow based on air passing ...
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At what speed will the crankshaft be rotating if each cylinder of a four-stroke cycle engine is to be fired 200 times a minute?
Well the answer is 400rpm ; but I don't understand how.
Here's my thought process:
4 stroke engine would mean every piston is in a different stage (intake, compression, power, exhaust)
Which means 200 ...
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Does throttle equal power on a turbocharged piston engine?
On a normal piston engine powered airplane, throttle equals power. If I set the throttle to 50 %, I will get 50 % of the power the engine can develop at the current altitude, temperature, etc. In a ...
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Does a diesel piston engine's power decrease more slowly with altitude than with an AVGAS engine?
I have a power-altitude curve of the Austro Engine AE-300 provided by manufacturer and I don't know the reason why power decrease lower than other engines. The curve is in the end of the pdf in this ...
