Lycoming O-360 Explained

The Lycoming O-360 is a family of four-cylinder, direct-drive, horizontally opposed, air-cooled, piston aircraft engines. Engines in the O-360 series produce between 145 and 225 horsepower (109 to 168 kW), with the basic O-360 producing 180 horsepower.^[1]

The engine family has been installed in thousands of aircraft, including the Cessna 172, Piper Cherokee/Archer, Grumman Tiger, and many home-built types. It has a factory rated time between overhaul (TBO) of 2000 hours or twelve years.^[2] O-360 family engines are also widely used in airboats, most notably in the Hurricane Aircats used by the US Army during the Vietnam War.^[3]

The first O-360 certified was the A1A model, certified on 20 July 1955 to United States CAR 13 effective March 5, 1952 as amended by 13-1 and 13-2. The Lycoming IO-390 is an O-360 which has had its cylinder bore increased by NaNinches, developing 2100NaN0.^{[4] [5]}

Series

The O-360 family of engines comprises 167 different models with 12 different prefixes. All have a 361cuin displacement and 5.125and bore and stroke.^{[6] [7] [8] [9]}

• O-360 carbureted series
• HO-360 horizontally mounted series for helicopter installation
• LO-360 same as O-360, but with left-hand rotating crankshaft, for use in pairs on twin-engined aircraft^[10]
• TO-360 turbocharged series
• LTO-360 turbocharged left-hand rotation series
• IO-360 fuel-injected series
• LIO-360 same as IO-360, but with left-hand rotating crankshaft
• AIO-360 inverted mount (dry sump aerobatic) fuel-injected series
• AEIO-360 aerobatic fuel-injected series
• HIO-360 horizontally mounted fuel-injected series for helicopters
• LHIO-360 left-hand rotation, fuel-injected, horizontally mounted for helicopters
• TIO-360 turbocharged and fuel-injected series

Variants

See main article: List of Lycoming O-360 variants.

Applications

O-360

LO-360

• Beechcraft Duchess
• Piper PA-44-180 Seminole

IO-360

LIO-360

• Piper PA-34 Seneca I
• Diamond DA42

AIO-360

• Stephens Akro

AEIO-360

• Aero-Cam Slick 360
• Aviat Eagle II
• American Champion Super Decathlon
• Extra EA-200
• FFA AS-202 Bravo
• Great Lakes Sport Trainer
• Grob G 115E
• Mudry CAP 10
• Peña Capeña
• Pitts Special
• Tech Aero TR 200
• Valmet L-70 Vinka
• Zlín Z 242

HIO-360

• Enstrom F-28
• OH-23 Raven
• Schweizer 300

LHIO-360

• Silvercraft SH-3^[11]
• Silvercraft SH-4

External links

• Lycoming Homepage
• Web site: Operator's Manual O-360, HO-360, IO-360, AIO-360, HIO-360 & TIO-360 Series . Lycoming . October 2005.

Notes and References

1. Web site: 360 Series. 2008-09-16. Lycoming. 2004. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20101126094011/http://lycoming.com/engines/series/pdfs/360ci%20Engine%20Insert.pdf. 2010-11-26.
2. Web site: Recommended Time Between Overhaul Periods. 8 July 2013. Lycoming Engines. Lycoming Engines. 8 July 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130913192926/http://lycoming.com/Portals/0/techpublications/serviceinstructions/SI%201009AV%20(07-08-2013)/Recommended%20Time%20Between%20Overhaul%20Periods.pdf. 2013-09-13. dead.
3. Samuel . Enfield . Burr, R. . Badgett, R.. etal. Airboats . R-1590 0 . Army Concept Team in Vietnam . April 15, 1966 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200803080325/http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/372880.pdf . dead . August 3, 2020 . San Francisco . DTIC. 2.
4. Web site: Lycoming IO-390-X. 2009-01-07. Lycoming Engines. Lycoming Engines. n.d..
5. Web site: Specialty datasheet. 2008-12-20. Lycoming Engines. Lycoming Engines. 2004.
6. Web site: Type Certificate Data Sheet No. E-286 Revision 20. 9 September 2011. Federal Aviation Administration. Federal Aviation Administration. August 2009.
7. Web site: Type Certificate Data Sheet No. 1E10 Revision 28. 26 January 2019. Federal Aviation Administration. Federal Aviation Administration. 10 January 2018.
8. Web site: Type Certificate Data Sheet No. E26EA Revision 4. 2009-01-18. Federal Aviation Administration. Federal Aviation Administration. March 1986.
9. Web site: Type Certificate Data Sheet No. E16EA Revision 5. 2009-01-18. Federal Aviation Administration. Federal Aviation Administration. March 1986.
10. Web site: Airplane Flying Handbook . 18 September 2012 . Federal Aviation Administration . Federal Aviation Administration . 13 July 2004 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120921094448/http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aircraft/airplane_handbook/media/faa-h-8083-3a-5of7.pdf . 21 September 2012 .
11. Web site: Docket No. FAA-2006-25948; Directorate Identifier 2006-NE-32-AD; Amendment 39-14951; AD 2007-04-19. 2009-03-09. Federal Aviation Administration. Federal Aviation Administration. February 2007. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110713212348/http://www.lion.com/FederalRegister/2007/February23/E7-2985.htm. 2011-07-13.