Tinker Celebrates 75 Years: O-series engines profile

Photo By Greg L. Davis | A Lycoming O-360 engine mounted on a Piper Cherokee shows the important characteristics of O-series engines: horizontally opposed cylinders on either side of the crank-shaft which turns the propeller (lower front). Tinker maintained various engines of this type throughout the years as they were common for early Liasion, trainer and even drone aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo/Greg L. Davis)  

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, UNITED STATES

03.08.2017

Story by Greg L. Davis 

72nd Air Base Wing

TINKER AFB, Okla. — O-series engines powered many small aircraft used by the U.S. military in a wide-variety of missions. O-series is the common name for reciprocating engines featuring horizontally-opposed pistons connected to a central crankshaft.
Some of the earliest and sustaining work performed at Tinker was in support of maintenance, repair and overhaul of O-series engines which powered Army Air Corps and later U.S. Air Force aircraft and some U.S. Navy drones too. Commercial engine manufacturers such as Continental, Franklin and Lycoming produced engines in four and six-cylinder configurations as original equipment for aircraft when purchased.
The types maintained here at Tinker included Continental O-170, 65 horsepower on Aeronca L-3, Interstate L-8, Luscombe UC-90, Piper L-4 and Taylorcraft L-2. Lycoming O-290, 160 horsepower on Piper L-21 and Franklin O-300, 150 horsepower on Culver PQ-14 target drones for the Air Force and Navy. Lycoming O-435, 240 horsepower engines powered the Stinson L-5.
According to official Tinker history documents, the Oklahoma City Air Depot kept the fleet of small liaison planes used for many years by the Army Air Corps and later the U.S. Air Force in-service. The substantial engine work done on aircraft using O-series engines and later radial engines at Tinker set the foundation for the many companies throughout Oklahoma who continue to specialize in aircraft engine repair and overhaul.

Manufacturer: various
Engine type: piston
Nickname: O-series
Horse-power: between 65-240
In-service dates: 1943-1950
Number produced: 3,970
Tinker connection: maintenance, repair and overhaul

• Date Taken: 03.08.2017
• Date Posted: 03.08.2017 09:44
• Story ID: 226128
• Location: OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, US