Continental IO-346

IO-346
Type	Piston aero-engine
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Teledyne Continental Motors
First run	1962
Major applications	Beechcraft Musketeer
Produced	1965-1969
Developed into	Continental IO-520

The Continental IO-346 engine is a fuel-injected four-cylinder aircraft engine that was developed especially for the Beechcraft Musketeer Custom III by Continental Motors. It was produced for that aircraft between 1965 and 1969.^[1]

Design and development

There is no carbureted version of the engine, which would have been designated O-346 and therefore the base model is the IO-346.^[1]^[2]

The IO-346 was designed to run on 91-98 avgas. The engine has a dry weight of 269¾ lb or 297 lb including the generator and starter. The ignition system consists of dual magnetos, one Scintilla S4RN-201 and one S4RN-205 or, alternatively, two Slick Electro 449 magnetos.^[1]^[2]

Variants

IO-346-A: Base model, certified 27 July 1962^[2]
IO-346-B: Identical to IO-346-A except it incorporates provisions for a hydraulic propeller control. Certified 23 June 1964.^[2]

Applications

1965 model Beechcraft A23 Musketeer equipped with the IO-346 engine

Specifications (IO-346)

Reference: Engines for Homebuilt Aircraft & Ultralights^[1]

General characteristics

Type: 4-cylinder air-cooled horizontally opposed aircraft piston engine
Bore: 5.25 in (133 mm)
Stroke: 4.00 in (102 mm)
Displacement: 346 in³ (5.68 L)
Length: 30 in (762 mm)
Width: 33.38 in (848 mm)
Height: 22.4 in (569 mm)
Dry weight: 297 lb dry, with starter and generator (135 kg)

Components

Valvetrain: One intake and one exhaust valve per cylinder
Fuel system: CMC fuel injection
Fuel type: 91/98 octane avgas
Cooling system: Air-cooled

Performance

Power output: 165 hp (121 kW) at 2,700 rpm
Specific power: 0.47 hp/in³ (21.2 kW/L)
Compression ratio: 7.5:1
Power-to-weight ratio: 0.56 hp/lb (0.90 kW/kg)

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Christy, Joe: Engines for Homebuilt Aircraft & Ultralights, pages 63. TAB Books, 1983. ISBN 0-8306-2347-7
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Federal Aviation Administration (November 1973). "TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET NO. E3CE" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-08. Retrieved 2008-12-14.

[Christy-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Christy, Joe: Engines for Homebuilt Aircraft & Ultralights, pages 63. TAB Books, 1983. ISBN 0-8306-2347-7

[CE3CE-2] Federal Aviation Administration (November 1973). "TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET NO. E3CE" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-08. Retrieved 2008-12-14.

[1]

[2]