Lycoming IO-720
The Lycoming IO-720 engine is a large displacement, horizontally opposed, eight-cylinder aircraft engine featuring four cylinders per side, manufactured by Lycoming Engines.[1]
| IO-720 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Piston aero-engine |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Lycoming Engines |
| First run | 1961 |
| Major applications | PAC Fletcher Piper Comanche 400 Helio Courier |
| Produced | 1961–present |
| Developed from | Lycoming O-360 |
There is no carburated version of the engine, which would have been designated O-720 and therefore the base model is the IO-720. The IO-720 and the Jabiru 5100 are the only flat-eight configuration aircraft engines currently in production.[2]
Design and development
The engine has a fuel injection system which schedules fuel flow proportionally to the airflow, with fuel vaporization occurring at the intake ports. The engine has a displacement of 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres) and produces 400 hp (298 kW). The cylinders have air-cooled heads cast from aluminum alloy with a fully machined combustion chamber.[1][3]
The first IO-720 was type certified on 25 October 1961 to the CAR 13 standard as amended to 15 June 1956 including 13-1, 13-2, 13-3, 13-4.[2]
In 2009 a new IO-720-A1B cost US$113,621, with a rebuilt engine retailing for US$75,435 and a factory overhaul priced at US$66,289.[4]
Variants
- IO-720-A1A
- Eight-cylinder, horizontally opposed, air-cooled direct drive, fuel injection, internal oil jet piston cooling, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), certified 25 October 1961[2]
- IO-720-A1B
- fuel-injected, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), same as -A1A except equipped with Bendix S8LN-1208 and S8LN-1209 magnetos, certified 22 February 1971[2][5]
- IO-720-A1BD
- fuel-injected, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), same as -A1B except has a dual magneto, certified 30 December 1976[2]
- IO-720-B1A
- fuel-injected, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), same as -A1A except for top exhaust cylinders and offset exhaust valve shroud tubes, certified 4 November 1965[2]
- IO-720-B1B
- fuel-injected, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), same as -B1A except equipped with Bendix S8LN-1208 and S8LN-1209 magnetos and Bendix RSA-10ED1 fuel injection, certified 22 February 1971[2][5]
- IO-720-B1BD
- fuel-injected, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), same as -B1B except has a dual magneto, certified 30 December 1976[2][5]
- IO-720-C1B
- fuel-injected, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), same as -A1B except that it has up-exhaust cylinder heads, certified 22 December 1971[2]
- IO-720-C1BD
- fuel-injected, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), same as -C1B except has a dual magneto, certified 28 January 1977[2]
- IO-720-D1B
- fuel-injected, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), same as -A1B except has a rear type air inlet housing instead of a front inlet, certified 29 October 1973[2][5]
- IO-720-D1BD
- fuel-injected, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), same as -D1B except has a dual magneto, certified 28 January 1977[2]
- IO-720-D1C
- fuel-injected, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), same as -D1B except equipped with an angled fuel injector adapter, certified 15 April 1982[2][5]
- IO-720-D1CD
- fuel-injected, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), same as -D1C except has a dual magneto, certified 10 June 1977[2][5]
Applications
- IO-720-A1A
- Northwest Ranger - factory installation
- Piper Comanche 400 - factory installation[1][6]
- IO-720-A1B
- Beechcraft 80 - Excalibur and Queen Air conversions[5]
- Helio Courier - Helio Courier H-800 factory installation
- Pacific Aerospace FU-24-954[5]
- Piper PA-36 Pawnee Brave - Johnson Aircraft conversion[1][5]
- IO-720-A1BD
- IO-720-B1A
- Northwest Ranger C-6 - factory installation
- IO-720-B1B
- Aero Commander - MR. R.P.M. conversion[5]
- IO-720-B1BD
- Aero Commander - MR. R.P.M. conversion[5]
- IO-720-D1B
- Embraer EMB 202 Ipanema - factory installation[1]
- IO-720-D1C
- Piper PA-36 Pawnee Brave - Johnson Aircraft conversion[1][5]
- IO-720-D1CD
- Piper PA-36 Pawnee Brave - Johnson Aircraft conversion[1][5]
Specifications (IO-720A)
Data from Lycoming Specialty Datasheet[3] and TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET NO. 1E15, Revision 6[2]
General characteristics
- Type: 8-cylinder fuel-injected horizontally opposed aircraft engine
- Bore: 5.125 in (130.18 mm)
- Stroke: 4.375 (111.12 mm)
- Displacement: 722 in³ (11.8 litres)
- Length: 46.41 In (117.88 cm)
- Width: 34.25 in (87.00 cm)
- Height: 22.53 in (57.23 cm)
- Dry weight: 597 lb (271 kg) dry
Components
- Fuel system: Bendix RSA-10AD1 fuel-injection
- Fuel type: 100LL avgas
- Cooling system: air-cooled
Performance
- Power output: 400 hp (297 kW) at 2650 rpm
- Specific power: 0.55 hp/in³ (25.2 kW/L)
- Compression ratio: 8.70:1
- Power-to-weight ratio: 0.67 hp/lb (1.10 kW/kg)
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Lycoming Engines (n.d.). "Lycoming IO-720". Retrieved 2008-12-19.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Federal Aviation Administration (February 1988). "TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET NO. 1E15, Revision 6". Retrieved 2008-12-13.
- ^ a b Lycoming Engines (2004). "Specialty datasheet" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-12-20.
- ^ Lycoming Engines (2009). (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 12, 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Lycoming Engines (n.d.). "Engine Finder". Retrieved 2008-12-19.
- ^ Demand Media (2008). "The Piper PA-24 Comanche". Retrieved 2008-12-20.
- ^ Morrison, Steve (8 August 2008). "Morrison 6 Specifications". Retrieved 11 October 2012.