Teledyne Continental Motors

Type	Operating Division
Predecessor	Continental Motors Corporation
Founded	1969
Headquarters	Mobile, Alabama
Industry	Aircraft engines
Parent	Teledyne Technologies, Inc.
Divisions	TCM Turbine Engines
Website	tcmlink.com

Teledyne Continental Motors (TCM) is an engine manufacturer located in Mobile, Alabama. The company is part of the Teledyne conglomerate. Although Continental is most well known for its light aviation engines, they were also contracted to produce the air-cooled V-12 AV-1790-5B gasoline engine for the U.S. Army's M47 Patton tank and the diesel AVDS-1790-2A and its derivatives for the M48 Patton and M60 series main battle tanks.

The company produced engines for various independent manufacturers of automobiles, tractors, and stationary equipment (i.e. pumps, generators, machinery drives) from the 1920s through the 1960s.

[edit] History

Restored Continental AV1790-5B tank engine at the American Armored Foundation Tank Museum in Danville, Virginia.

In 1929 the company introduced its first aircraft engine, a seven-cylinder radial of 543.91 cu in (8.91L) displacement, designated as the A-70 that produced 170 hp (127 kW). In August 1929, the Continental Motors Company formed the Continental Aircraft Engine Company as a subsidiary to develop and produce its aircraft engines.^[1]

As the Great Depression unwound, 1930 saw the company introduce the 37 hp (28 kW) A-40 four-cylinder engine. A follow-on design, the 50 hp (37 kW) A-50 was introduced in 1938 and was used to power the Piper Cub and Taylorcraft. As the Second World War started in 1939 Continental commenced building aircraft engines for use in British and American tanks. Continental formed Continental Aviation and Engineering (CAE) in 1940 to develop and produce aircraft engines of over 500 hp (373 kW)^[1]

During the 1950s, the A-65 was developed into the more powerful 90 hp (67 kW) C-90 and eventually into the 100 hp (75 kW) O-200. The O-200 powered a very important airplane design milestone: the Cessna 150. By the 1960s turbocharging and fuel injection arrived in general aviation and the company's IO-520 series came to dominate the market.

In 1969, Teledyne Incorporated acquired Continental Motors, which became Teledyne Continental Motors (TCM).^[2] That same year, the Continental Tiara series of high output engines were introduced, although they were dropped from the line after 1978. The company brought the TSIO-520-BE for the Piper Malibu to market in 1984 and it set new efficiency standards for light aircraft piston engines. Powered by a liquid cooled version of the IO-240, the Voyager was the first piston-powered aircraft to circumnavigate the world without refueling in 1986.

NASA selected Continental to develop and produce GAP in 1997, a new 200 hp (150 kW) piston engine to operate on Jet-A fuel. This was in response to 100-octane aviation gasoline becoming less available as a result of decreased demand, due to smaller turboprop engines becoming more prevalent.

In 2008, Teledyne Continental's new president, Rhett Ross announced that the company is very concerned about future availability of 100LL avgas, and as a result will develop a diesel engine in the 300 hp (220 kW) range for certification in 2009 or 2010.^[3] By the fall of 2009 the company was feeling the effects of the economic situation and the resulting reduced demand for aircraft engines. The company announced that it would close its plant for two one week periods in October 2009 and January 2010. Salaried employees will move to a four-day work week with one week vacations for Thanksgiving and Christmas, with the aim "to protect as much of our valuable employee base as possible".^[4]

[edit] Continental aircraft engines

[edit] Opposed piston engines

Continental Motors C-90-8F aircraft engine in Technik Museum Speyer

• A-40 - four cylinder, 40 horsepower^[5]
• A-50 - four cylinder, 50 horsepower^[5]
• A-65 - four cylinder, 65 horsepower, 80 octane, 1800 hour design time between overhauls^[6]
• A-75 - four cylinder, 75 horsepower^[5]
• C-75 - four cylinder, 75 horsepower^[5]
• A-80 - four cylinder, 80 horsepower^[5]
• C-85 - four cylinder, 85 horsepower, 80 octane, 1800 hour design time between overhauls^[6]
• C-90 - four cylinder, 90 horsepower, 80 octane, 1800 hour design time between overhauls^[6]
• Continental Tiara 4-180 - O-270, four cylinder, 180 horsepower, 1970
• C-115 - six cylinder, 115 horsepower (86 kW) based on the same cylinders as the C-75.
• C-125 - six cylinder, 125 horsepower, 80 octane, 1800 hour design time between overhauls^[6]
• C-140 - six cylinder, a geared version of the C-125.
• C-145 - four cylinder, 145 horsepower, 80 octane, 1800 hour design time between overhauls^[6]
• E165 - six cylinder, 165 horsepower, 80 octane, 1500 hour design time between overhauls^[6]
• E185 - six cylinder, 185 horsepower, 80 octane, 1500 hour design time between overhauls^[6]
• O-200 - four cylinder, 100 horsepower, 80 octane, 1800 hour design time between overhauls^[6]
• E225 - six cylinder, 225 horsepower, 80 octane, 1500 hour design time between overhauls^[6]
• O-300 - six cylinder, 145 horsepower, 80 octane, 1800 hour design time between overhauls. Family includes the GO-300. The O-300 is a modernized version of the C-145^[6]
• IO-346 - four cylinder, 165 horsepower, 91 octane^[5]
• IO-360 - six cylinder, 210 horsepower, 100 octane, 1500 hour design time between overhauls. Family includes the TSIO-360^[6]
• Continental Tiara, O-405, six cylinder, '6-285' '6-320', 285-320 horsepower, 1969-1975,
• O-470 - six cylinder, 230 horsepower, 80 octane, 1500 hour design time between overhauls. Family includes the IO-470 and the TSIO-470^[6]
• O-520 - six cylinder, 320 horsepower, 100 octane, 1500 hour design time between overhauls. Family includes the TSIO-520 and the GTSIO-520^[6]
• Continental O-526 - six cylinder, 270-300-310 horsepower, 1957, FSO- GSO- GO-
• Continental Tiara, O-540, eight cylinder, '8-380' 'T8-450', 380-450 horsepower, 1970
• IO-550 - six cylinder 280 hp (209 kW) to 360 hp (268 kW) 100 octane, engine, Family includes IOF-550 and TSIO-550.^[7][8]

[edit] Radial and Inverted-V engines

• R-545 A-70 7 cylinder radial.
• I-1430
• R-670
• R-975

[edit] Turboprop/turboshafts

• Continental TP-500

[edit] See also

• Lycoming Engines

[edit] References

This article includes a list of references or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (March 2009)

• Foss, Christopher F.. Jane's Pocket Book of Modern Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles. Collier Books. pp. 45–49. 73-15286. 
• Gunston, Bill (2006). World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines, 5th Edition. Phoenix Mill, Gloucestershire, England, UK: Sutton Publishing Limited. ISBN 0-7509-4479-X. 
• Leyes II, Richard A.; William A. Fleming (1999). The History of North American Small Gas Turbine Aircraft Engines. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution. ISBN 1-56347-332-1. 

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Continental aircraft engines

• Teledyne Continental Motors (TCM) official site