by Mike Busch | Aug 1, 2018 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
It has been a lot like watching paint dry I recently completed work on my second book, a 500-page monster titled Mike Busch on Engines (available on Amazon). It was a yearlong effort that involved reviewing hundreds of my past articles about piston aircraft engines,...
by Mike Busch | Jul 1, 2018 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
Spark plugs start the fire going, and need some TLC We all know what aircraft spark plugs do: They accept high-voltage pulses from a magneto or electronic ignition unit and produce an electric spark inside the cylinder’s combustion chamber to ignite the air/fuel...
by Mike Busch | Jun 1, 2018 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
“Autographing a lie” is the worst FAR violation a mechanic can commit By Mike Busch | A&P/IA Inspection revealed that the propeller damage was substantial, apparently the result of a prop strike An IA is an experienced A&P mechanic who—by virtue of having...
by Mike Busch | May 1, 2018 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
What’s inside your engine’s crankcase? Reciprocating aircraft engines come in a variety of different cylinder arrangements—radial, inline, V, and opposed—but most engines used in piston general aviation are horizontally opposed four- and six-cylinder engines. These...
by Mike Busch | Apr 1, 2018 | AOPA Pilot Magazine, Magazine Articles
Basics of piston aircraft engine fuel metering systems If you fly a piston aircraft, chances are it has a spark-ignition (SI) engines that burns gasoline. There also exist compression-ignition (CI) engines—also called diesels—that burn kerosene, but in today’s GA...
