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 225hp (110 and 170kW), with the basic O-360 producing 180hp (130kW).

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. 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.

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 3⁄16inch (4.8mm), developing 210hp (160kW).

Series

The O-360 family of engines comprises 167 different models with 12 different prefixes. All have a 361cuin (6L) displacement and 5.125 and 4.375in (130 and 111mm) bore and stroke.

  • 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
  • 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

Applications

Piper PA-44-180 Seminole features two Lycoming O-360 engines

O-360

LO-360

IO-360

LIO-360

An LIO-360 on the starboard wing of a Piper PA-34-200 Seneca I.

AIO-360

AEIO-360

HIO-360

LHIO-360

Specifications (O-360-A1A)

Data from Type Certificate Data Sheet E-286

General characteristics

Components

  • Fuel type: 91/96 avgas minimum grade
  • Oil system: 8USqt (8L) wet sump
  • Cooling system: air-cooled

Performance

  • Power output: 180hp (130kW) at 2700rpm
  • Compression ratio: 8.5:1
  • Fuel consumption: 7.8USgal (30L) to 9USgal (34L) per hour

See also

Related lists

External links

  • (PDF). Lycoming. October 2005.