The Continental C90 and O-200 are a family of air-cooled, horizontally opposed, four-cylinder, direct-drive

aircraft engine An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the power component of an aircraft propulsion system. Most aircraft engines are either piston engines or gas turbines, although a few have been rocket powered and in recent years many ...

s of 201 in³ (3.29 L) displacement, producing between 90 and 100 horsepower (67 and 75 kW).''

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...

Type certificate data sheet no. E-252
'' Revision 34. (27 June 2013) Built by Continental Motors these engines are used in many light aircraft designs of the United States, including the early Piper PA-18 Super Cub,''Aircraft specification no. 1A2.'' Revision 37. (Sep. 4, 1996.) Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration. the

Champion 7EC The Aeronca Model 7 Champion, commonly known as the "Champ", or "Airknocker",Bellanca Aircraft Corp, " d: "The Champ only $4,995"" ''Flying Annual & Pilots' Guide,'' 1971 ed., pp.36–37 iff-Davis NY is a single-engine light airplane with a ...

,''Aircraft specification no. A-759.'' Revision 67. (Jun. 3, 2005.) Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration. the Alon Aircoupe,''Type certificate date sheet no. A-787.'' Revision 33. (Jul. 14, 2005.) Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration. and the Cessna 150.''Type certificate data sheet no. 3A19.'' Revision 44. (Mar. 31, 2003) Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration. Though the C90 was superseded by the O-200, and many of the designs utilizing the O-200 had gone out of production by 1980, with the 2004 publication of the United States Federal Aviation Administration

light-sport aircraft A light-sport aircraft (LSA), or light sport aircraft, is a fairly new category of small, lightweight aircraft that are simple to fly. LSAs tend to be heavier and more sophisticated than ultralight (aka "microlight") aircraft, but LSA restrictio ...

regulations''Federal Register.'' Vol. 69, No. 143 (Jul. 27, 2004), pp. 44772-44882. Federal Aviation Administration, 14 CFR Parts 1, 21, et al., "Certification of aircraft and airmen for the operation of light-sport aircraft;" Final rule. came a resurgence in demand for the O-200. The light-sport aircraft standard is for small, simple single- and two-seat aircraft for which the O-200 is well-suited.

Design and development

The C90 was introduced in 1947 as a follow-on to the A65, which had been in production since 1939. Many of the designs powered by the C90 are upgraded variants of earlier A65 powered designs, such as the Piper J-3 Cub and PA-11 Cub Special,''Aircraft specification no. A-691.'' Revision 32. (Oct. 1, 1997.) Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration. Aeronca 7AC, and Luscombe 8A.''Aircraft specification no. A-694.'' Revision 23. (Jul. 8, 1993.) Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration. The engine was developed from the earlier O-190 by increasing the stroke inch. This engine family is considered to be dependable, according to both industry publications and the FAA.''Special airworthiness information bulletin no. NE-03-45.'' (Jun. 27, 2003.) Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration. Aircraft Certification Service. In a cooperative venture, Rolls-Royce produced these same designs in England, under separate certification, with model designations beginning RR, e.g. the Rolls-Royce RR C90-12FH is the equivalent of the Continental C90-12FH; the Rolls-Royce versions are "directly interchangeable with the equivalent models manufactured by Continental."''Type certificate data sheet no. E3IN.'' Revision 3. (Jan. 16, 1968) Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration. The Rolls-Royce O-200-A powers the Beagle Pup Series 1,''Type certificate data sheet no. A22EU.'' Revision 3. (Jun. 19, 1979) Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration. the

Rollason Condor The Druine D.60 Condor is a light aircraft designed by Roger Druine in France in the 1950s. Druine’s primary aim was to design a trainer aircraft for amateur construction. The Condor was subsequently made in quantity in the UK by Rollason Airc ...

, the Bölkow Bo 208 C Junior,''List 4: Propeller-driven aeroplanes not exceeding 8618 kg MTOM (including self-launching powered sailplanes.'' (Jun. 15, 2006) Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (Federal Office of Civil Aviation). Federal Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs. Germany. the Avions Robin DR 220, the Morane-Saulnier MS-880, plus the Victa Airtourer 100 and the Reims F150 (a version of the Cessna 150 license-built in France by Reims Aviation). All versions of the C90 and O-200 are

four-stroke A four-stroke (also four-cycle) engine is an internal combustion (IC) engine in which the piston completes four separate strokes while turning the crankshaft. A stroke refers to the full travel of the piston along the cylinder, in either directio ...

reciprocating engine A reciprocating engine, also often known as a piston engine, is typically a heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating pistons to convert high temperature and high pressure into a rotating motion. This article describes the common featu ...

s and are all similar in size, displacement and weight. These engines are typically fitted with an

updraft carburetor An updraft carburetor is a type of carburetor (a component of engines that mixes air and fuel together) in which the air enters at the bottom and exits at the top to go to the engine. An updraft carburetor was the first type of carburetor in commo ...

, though the C90-8FJ, -12FJ, and -14FJ are equipped with

fuel injection Fuel injection is the introduction of fuel in an internal combustion engine, most commonly automotive engines, by the means of an injector. This article focuses on fuel injection in reciprocating piston and Wankel rotary engines. All comp ...

systems. They utilize a redundant ignition system requiring no external power, driving two magnetos, each of which fires one

spark plug A spark plug (sometimes, in British English, a sparking plug, and, colloquially, a plug) is a device for delivering electric current from an ignition system to the combustion chamber of a spark-ignition engine to ignite the compressed fuel/air ...

per

cylinder A cylinder (from ) has traditionally been a three-dimensional solid, one of the most basic of curvilinear geometric shapes. In elementary geometry, it is considered a prism with a circle as its base. A cylinder may also be defined as an infin ...

. Each cylinder has one intake

valve A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings ...

and one exhaust valve, pushrod-activated. Continental's recommended

time between overhaul Time between overhauls (abbreviated as TBO or TBOH) is the manufacturer's recommended number of running hours or calendar time before an aircraft engine or other component requires overhaul. On rotorcraft, many components have recommended or man ...

(TBO) for these engines is 1,800 hours of operation or 12 years in service, whichever is reached first. The standard certification for the C90 and O-200 specifies Avgas 80/87 as the minimum fuel grade. Both are eligible for operation on automobile gasoline on the basis of Supplemental Type Certificates. While the C90 is approved for takeoff power of 95 horsepower (71 kW) for five minutes, the designation is derived from its continuous power rating of 90 hp (67 kW). As noted above, certain models of the C90 replace the usual carburetor with a fuel injection system. In addition, there are models which provide for the installation of a controllable-pitch propeller and one, the C90-12FP, designed for a

pusher configuration In an aircraft with a pusher configuration (as opposed to a tractor configuration), the propeller(s) are mounted behind their respective engine(s). Since a pusher propeller is mounted behind the engine, the drive shaft is in compression in nor ...

installation. While having slightly less horsepower than the O-200, many floatplane operators prefer the performance of the C90 over the O-200, due to its higher torque at lower rpm. This is primarily due to the C90's camshaft design. The C90 is also known by its military designation of O-205. The O-200 is an updated and upgraded version of the engine, achieving increased power of 100 hp (75 kW) as a result of higher maximum rpm. The standard and most common model of the engine is the O-200-A; the -B model is designed for a pusher installation, the -C model provides for the installation of a controllable-pitch propeller, and the -D model is a lower-weight version designed for light-sport aircraft.

Operational history

An engine designated the IOL-200, an O-200 variant modified with

and liquid cooling, powered the 1986 nonstop, non-refueled global circumnavigation flight of the Rutan Voyager. The 110-horsepower (82 kW) IOL-200, also referred to as the Voyager 200, was the rear engine and—unlike the forward engine, another modified engine, a Continental O-240 —ran throughout the entire nine-day flight save for a four-minute shutdown due to a fuel problem. Formula One racer

Sharp Nemesis The Sharp DR 90 Nemesis is a Formula One Air Racing, Formula One racing aircraft designed by Jon Sharp and built at the Mojave Airport by the Nemesis Air Racing Team. The aircraft is powered by a modified Continental O-200 piston engine. The Ne ...

, designed and flown by Jon Sharp, was powered by a 'stock' O-200. Between 1991 and 1999, the aircraft won 45 of the 48 events in which it was entered, as well as winning three Louis Blèriot medals, four Pulitzer Trophies, and setting 16 speed records in its class. In one of those records, ''Nemesis'' was clocked at more than 290 mph (467 km/h). By contrast, the O-200 powered Legend Cub cruises at 95 mph (152.9 km/h).

Variants

Certified versions

C90

;C90-8F:Lacks provisions for generator and starter drives, continuous, for take-off. ;C90-8FJ: continuous, for take-off. ;C90-12F:Has provisions for generator and starter drives, continuous, for take-off. ;C90-12FH:Has provisions for generator and starter drives, continuous, for take-off. ;C90-12FJ:Has provisions for generator and starter drives, continuous, for take-off. ;C90-12FP:Has provisions for generator and starter drives, continuous, for take-off. ;C90-14F: continuous, for take-off. ;C90-14FH: continuous, for take-off. ;C90-14FJ: continuous, for take-off. ;C90-16F:Has vacuum pump drive provisions, continuous, for take-off.

O-200

;O-200-A:Model for tractor configuration, continuous ;O-200-B:Model with special crankshaft and crankcase for

, continuous ;O-200-C:Model with provisions for a controllable pitch propeller, continuous ;O-200-D:Similar to the "A" model, but with weight reductions, continuous ;O-200-X:Similar to the "D" model except for engine dataplate identification, continuous

Non-certified versions

;O-200-AF: UL91 and UL94 95 hp alternate fuel engine. ;IOL-200/Voyager 200:The aft engine of the round the world flight Rutan Voyager

Applications

Specifications (O-200-A)

''Data from'' Engine specifications: O-200-A & B.

References

External links

Teledyne Continental Motors
{{US military piston aeroengines Boxer engines 1940s aircraft piston engines O-200