Difference Between Powerplant and Engine in Aviation

What is the most common form of reciprocating engine today?

Which type of engine consists of a row, or rows, of cylinders arranged radially about a central crankcase?

In which type of engine are the cylinders arranged in two in-line banks set 60° apart?

Which type of engine was used mostly during the second World War and is mostly limited to older aircraft?

What is the function of an opposed-type engine?

What is the purpose of an external combustion engine?

What is the distance the piston travels from its outward limit to its inward limit known as?

How many strokes are accomplished in 180 degrees of crankshaft rotation?

What are heat engines?

What are the main requirements for engines mentioned in the text?

What is the main difference between an aircraft engine and a powerplant?

Who is often referred to as the inventor of the atmospheric engine?

Which inventors introduced gasoline as the fuel burned directly within the cylinders?

When did the earliest hand-operated cranks appear?

Which country did Ismail AlJazari belong to?

Who are known as the first American plane builders?

Common Engine Types

The most common form of reciprocating engine today is the inline engine.

Radial Engine

A radial engine consists of a row, or rows, of cylinders arranged radially about a central crankcase.

V-Type Engine

A V-type engine has cylinders arranged in two in-line banks set 60° apart.

Historic Engine Types

The radial engine was used mostly during the second World War and is mostly limited to older aircraft.

Opposed-Type Engine

The function of an opposed-type engine is to have the cylinders opposing each other on either side of the crankcase.

External Combustion Engine

The purpose of an external combustion engine is to burn fuel outside the engine, not inside the cylinders.

Engine Mechanics

The distance the piston travels from its outward limit to its inward limit is known as the stroke.
2 strokes are accomplished in 180 degrees of crankshaft rotation.

Engine Definitions

Heat engines are engines that convert thermal energy into mechanical energy.
The main requirements for engines are power, efficiency, reliability, and durability.

Aircraft Engines

The main difference between an aircraft engine and a powerplant is that a powerplant includes the propeller.

Inventors and Innovators

Thomas Newcomen is often referred to as the inventor of the atmospheric engine.
Nikolaus August Otto and Gottlieb Daimler introduced gasoline as the fuel burned directly within the cylinders.
The earliest hand-operated cranks appeared in ancient Greece around 300 BC.
Ismail AlJazari was from Turkey.
The Wright brothers are known as the first American plane builders.

Test your knowledge of the differences between aircraft engine and powerplant, including their components and accessories. Explore the history of engine mechanisms from early examples to significant technological advancements.