Aircraft engine

An aircraft engine, often called an aero engine, is the part that gives an aircraft its power to fly. Aircraft that can fly using their own power are called powered flight.

Most aircraft engines are either piston engines or gas turbines, but a few special planes have used rocket powered engines. In recent years, many small flying machines called UAVs have started using electric motors to move through the sky.

These engines are very important because they help planes, helicopters, and drones stay in the air and move from one place to another.

Manufacturing industry

See also: List of aircraft engines

Five big companies in Europe and America make most aircraft engines. Building these engines is very hard. It needs special technology and materials, and it takes a long time. The engines must also be very safe.

Because it is hard to make engines, it is difficult for new companies to start making them. These big companies sometimes sell engines for less money, but they make more money later by selling parts and services for many years. This can sometimes make it take longer to get new engines ready. This can affect airplane makers like Airbus and Boeing when they want to build more planes.

Development history

The development of aircraft engines has had many important moments. In 1903, the Manly–Balzer engine helped set rules for later radial engines. In 1918, Sanford Alexander Moss made the first working turbocharger. In 2020, the Pipistrel E-811 became the first electric aircraft engine to get an official certificate. It powered the Pipistrel Velis Electro, the first fully electric certified airplane.

See also: Timeline of jet power

Shaft engines

Reciprocating (piston) engines

Main article: reciprocating engine

Reciprocating engines, also called piston engines, are a common type of aircraft engine. These engines work by using pistons that move up and down inside cylinders to create power. They can be arranged in different ways, such as in a straight line (in-line engine), in a V-shape (V-type engine), or in a circle around the center (radial engine). Radial engines are strong and can handle rough conditions, but they can sometimes get too hot.

Another special type is the rotary engine, where the whole engine spins as it runs. This helps keep the engine cool, even when the airplane moves slowly. There are also Wankel engines, a type of rotary engine that is lighter and smaller than traditional piston engines. These engines were used in some cars and a few experimental airplanes, but they are not common in airplanes today.

Power turbines

Main article: Turboprop

Main article: Turboshaft

Power turbines are another important type of aircraft engine. Turboprop engines look like jet engines but are made to turn a propeller instead of creating thrust directly. They mix air with fuel, create a controlled explosion to make heat and power, and use some of that power to spin the propeller.

Turboshaft engines are similar but are built to produce power for things like turning parts or making electricity, instead of pushing the airplane forward. These engines have two main sections: one that creates hot gases and another that uses those gases to make useful power.

Electric power

Since the 1960s, some airplanes have been powered by electricity. These electric airplanes use batteries to power electric motors that turn the propeller. In 2020, the Pipistrel E-811 became the first electric aircraft engine to receive official approval for use in small airplanes. Many companies are now working on improving electric engines for airplanes, which could make flying quieter and cleaner in the future.

Reaction engines

Main article: Jet engine

Aircraft engines are special machines that help airplanes fly. Most airplanes use either piston engines or gas turbines for power. Some small drones today use electric motors, and a few special airplanes have used rocket engines.

Jet turbines

Main article: Turbojet

Main article: Turbofan

Main article: Advanced technology engine

The term advanced technology engine refers to the modern generation of jet engines.

Pulsejets

Main article: Pulsejet

Main article: Gluhareff Pressure Jet

Rocket

Main article: Rocket engine

Rocket turbine engine

Main article: Rocket turbine engine

A rocket turbine engine mixes two types of engines: a liquid-propellant rocket and a turbine jet engine. It can work at very high altitudes and is a bit more powerful than a regular jet engine.

Precooled jet engines

Main article: Precooled jet engine

Piston-turbofan hybrid

At the April 2018 ILA Berlin Air Show, researchers from Munich showed a new engine design for future airplanes. This engine mixes a turbofan with a piston engine to make it more efficient. It could power smaller airplanes with about 50 seats. The design helps save fuel and could make flights cheaper and greener in the future. The project was supported by the European Commission, with help from MTU Aero Engines and GKN Aerospace.

Engine position numbering

On airplanes with more than one engine, the engines are given numbers from left to right, as seen by the pilot looking forward. For example, on a four-engine airplane like the Boeing 747, engine No. 1 is on the left side, farthest from the middle of the plane, while engine No. 3 is on the right side, closest to the middle.

In some airplanes with two engines mounted on the body, such as the English Electric Lightning, engine No. 1 is below and in front of engine No. 2, which is above and behind.

Fuel

Refineries make a special fuel called Avgas for airplane engines. This fuel used to have a special chemical, but this is no longer allowed for car gasoline. Because this chemical is hard to find and there might be new rules, pilots are looking for new fuels for small airplanes.

Small model airplanes can use a mix that includes methanol and nitromethane, or they can run on electricity. Very small flying machines called multicopters usually use electricity, while some bigger ones are being made to use gasoline.