The brothers’ design is very simple by today’s standards, so it is a good engine for students to study to learn the fundamentals of engine operation. The brothers’ design was based on early automobile engine designs which used the Otto cycle, developed by the German, Dr. The engine is called a four-stroke engine because there are four movements (strokes) of the piston during one cycle. Between ignitions, the engine parts move in a repeated sequence called a cycle. The burning of fuel is not a continuous process but occurs very quickly at regular time intervals. The hot exhaust gas pushes a piston in the cylinder which is connected to a crankshaft to produce power. In an internal combustion engine, fuel and air are ignited inside a cylinder.
The Wright brothers used a gasoline powered, four-stroke, internal combustion engine to power their aircraft.
Home > Beginners Guide to Aeronautics Internal Combustion Engine – Otto Cycle
