Continental Aerospace Technologiesis anaircraft enginemanufacturer located at theBrookley AeroplexinMobile, Alabama,United States.It was originally spun off from automobile engine manufacturerContinental Motors Companyin 1929 and owned byTeledyne Technologiesfrom 1969 until December 2010. The company is now part ofAviation Industry Corporation of China(AVIC), which is aGovernment of the People's Republic of Chinastate-ownedaerospace company headquartered inBeijing.[1][2]
 | |
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aircraft engines |
| Predecessor | Continental Motors Corporation |
| Founded | 1929 |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Karen Hong, CEO (since March 2022) |
| Owner | Aviation Industry Corporation of China |
| Parent |
|
| Divisions | Continental Aviation and Engineering |
| Subsidiaries | Gray Marine Motor Company (1944–1967) |
| Website | http://continental.aero |
Although Continental is most well known for its engines forlight aircraft,it was also contracted to produce the air-cooledV-12AV-1790-5Bgasolineengine for the U.S. Army'sM47 Pattontank and thedieselAVDS-1790-2A and its derivatives for theM48,M60 Patton,andMerkavamain battle tanks.The company also produced engines for various independent manufacturers of automobiles, tractors, and stationary equipment (pumps, generators, and machinery drives) from the 1920s to the 1960s.
History
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In 1929, the company introduced its first aircraft engine,[3]a seven-cylinderradialdesignated as the A-70, with a displacement of 543.91 cu in (8.91L) that produced 170 hp (127 kW). In August 1929, the Continental Motors Company formed theContinental Aircraft Engine Companyas a subsidiary to develop and produce its aircraft engines.[4]
As theGreat Depressionunwound, 1930 saw the company introduce the 37 hp (28 kW) A-40 four-cylinder engine. A follow-on design, the 50 hp (37 kW) A-50 was introduced in 1938 and was used to power theTaylor Cuband derivativePiper Cub.As theSecond World Warstarted in 1939 Continental commenced building aircraft engines for use in British and American tanks.[5][6]Continental formedContinental Aviation and Engineering(CAE) in 1940 to develop and produce aircraft engines of over 500 hp (373 kW).[4]Continental ranked 38th among United States corporations in the value of wartime production contracts.[7]
During the late 1930s, early 1940s theGray Marine Motor Companyadapted Continental engines for maritime use. On 14 June 1944 the company was purchased by Continental for US$2.6 million. John W. Mulford, the son of one of Gray's founders was appointed general manager of Gray by Continental. Gray's continued to make marine engines in the post-war period until its closure by Continental in about 1967.[8][9]
During the 1950s, theA-65was developed into the more powerful 90 hp (67 kW) C-90 and eventually into the 100 hp (75 kW)O-200.The O-200 powered a very important airplane design milestone: theCessna 150.By the 1960sturbochargingandfuel injectionarrived in general aviation and the company's IO-520 series came to dominate the market.[citation needed]
In 1965,Ryan Aeronauticalacquired a 50% stake in Continental Motors.[10]
In 1969,Teledyne Incorporatedacquired Continental Motors, which becameTeledyne Continental Motors(TCM).[11]That same year, theContinental Tiara seriesof high output engines were introduced, although they were dropped from the line after 1978. The company brought the TSIO-520-BE for thePiper PA-46to market in 1984 and it set new efficiency standards for light aircraft piston engines. Powered by a liquid-cooled version of the IO-240, theRutan Voyagerwas the first piston-powered aircraft to circumnavigate the world without refueling in 1986.[citation needed]
NASAselected Continental to develop and produce GAP in 1997, a new 200 hp (150 kW) piston engine to operate onJet-Afuel. This was in response to100-octane aviation gasolinebecoming less available as a result of decreased demand, due to smallerturbopropengines becoming more prevalent.
In 2008, Teledyne Continental's new president, Rhett Ross announced that the company was very concerned about future availability of100LL avgasand as a result would develop a diesel engine in the 300 hp (220 kW) range for certification in 2009 or 2010.[12]By the fall of 2009 the company was feeling the effects of theeconomic situationand the resulting reduced demand for aircraft engines. The company announced that it would close its plant for two one-week periods in October 2009 and January 2010. Salaried employees would move to a four-day work week with one week vacations for Thanksgiving and Christmas, with the aim "to protect as much of our valuable employee base as possible".[13]
On 14 December 2010, Continental's parent Teledyne announced that Teledyne Continental Motors, Teledyne Mattituck Services, and its general aviation piston engine business would be sold to Technify Motor (USA) Ltd, a subsidiary ofAVIC International,forUS$186 million in cash. AVIC is a Chinese state-owned aerospace company. In May 2011, the transaction was reported as complete and the company renamed Continental Motors, Inc.[1][2][14]
On 23 July 2013 the company bought diesel aircraft engine manufacturerThielertfrom bankruptcy for an undisclosed sum. Thielert will become an operating division of Continental and will be renamedTechnify Motors GmbH.[15]
In 2015, Continental purchased Danbury Aerospace, which included ECi (Engine Components International) and PMA (Precision Machined Airparts). ECi had been supplying aftermarket engine parts since 1943; the merger reduced third-party manufacturers of Continental engine rebuild parts. ECi's Titan engines were modern non-certified engines competing with Lycoming's Thunderbolt. These were eventually rebranded as the Continental Titan.[16][17][18]
In March 2019 the company name was changed fromContinental Motors, Inc.toContinental Aerospace Technologies.[19]
In March 2022, Karen Hong was named as the company's president and CEO, replacing Robert Stoppek. Hong had previously served as the interim CEO and chief financial officer (CFO).[20]
Products
editOpposed piston engines
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| Model name | Configuration | Power |
|---|---|---|
| Continental A-40 | O4 | 40 hp |
| Continental O-170 | O4 | 65 hp |
| Continental O-190 | O4 | 85 hp |
| Continental O-200 | O4 | 100 hp |
| Continental O-240 | O4 | 125 hp |
| Continental O-280 | O6 | 125 hp |
| Continental O-300 | O6 | 145 hp |
| Continental IO-346 | O4 | 165 hp |
| Continental IO-360 | O6 | 195 hp |
| Continental IO-370 | O4 | 195 hp |
| Continental O-470 | O6 | 213 hp |
| Continental O-520 | O6 | 375 hp |
| Continental O-526 | O6 | 320 hp |
| Continental IO-550 | O6 | 300 hp |
| Continental TD-300 | O4 | 230 hp |
| Continental Tiara 4 | O4 | 180 hp |
| Continental Tiara 6 | O6 | 285 hp |
| Continental Tiara 8 | O8 | 380 hp |
Radial and (Inverted-)V engines
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| Model name | Configuration | Power |
|---|---|---|
| Continental A-70 | R7 | 165 hp[21] |
| Continental I-1430 | IV12 | 1,150 hp |
| Continental R-670 | R7 | 225 hp |
| Continental R-975 | R9 | 420 hp |
| Continental CD-300 | V6 (Diesel/Jet 1A) | 300 hp |
Turboprop/turboshafts
edit| Model name | Configuration | Power |
|---|---|---|
| Continental T51 | Turboshaft | 425 hp |
| Continental T65 | Turboshaft | 305 hp |
| Continental T67 | Turboshaft | 1,540 hp |
| Continental T69 | ||
| Continental T72 | Turboshaft | 600 hp |
| Continental TP-500[22] |
Jet engines
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| Model name | Configuration | Power |
|---|---|---|
| Teledyne CAE J69 | Turbojet | 880 lbf |
| Continental RJ35 Ramjet[23][24] | ||
| Continental RJ45 Ramjet | ||
| Continental RJ49 Ramjet |
See also
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References
editNotes
edit- ^abAvWeb Staff (December 2010)."Teledyne-Continental Bought by Chinese Interests".AvWeb.Retrieved14 December2010.
- ^abTeledyne Technologies Incorporated (December 2010)."Teledyne Technologies Agrees to Sell Teledyne Continental Motors to AVIC International".Business Wire.Retrieved14 December2010.
- ^Strohl, Daniel in Hemmings Classic Car, December, 2008, "Powerful As The Nation", pg 43: "...by the end of 1905. According to Continental's own history, the company also began aircraft engine development at about the same time, rolling out the 45hp Model O four-cylinder L-head engine about 1906 or 1907.",.
- ^abLeyes, p. 87.
- ^Borth, Christy.Masters of Mass Production,pp. 63-5, Bobbs-Merrill Company, Indianapolis, IN, 1945.
- ^Herman, Arthur.Freedom's Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II,pp. 96-100, 126, 200, Random House, New York, New York, 2012.ISBN978-1-4000-6964-4.
- ^Peck, Merton J.&Scherer, Frederic M.The Weapons Acquisition Process: An Economic Analysis(1962)Harvard Business Schoolp.619
- ^A Brief History of the Gray Marine Motor Company,Gas Engine Magazine
- ^Grayson, Stan.Engines Afloat, Vol. II(Marblehead, MA: Devereaux Books, 1999), p.116.
- ^Leyes, Richard A., and William A. Fleming, The History of North American Small Gas Turbine Aircraft Engines, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 1999: p.143ISBN1-56347-332-1
- ^Gunston, p. 225.
- ^AvWeb Staff (February 2008)."Teledyne Continental Plans Certified Diesel Within Two Years".Retrieved18 February2008.
- ^Pew, Glenn (October 2009)."TCM Announces Temporary Plant Closures, More".Retrieved5 October2009.
- ^Niles, Russ (May 2011)."China Lays Out Its GA Plan".AvWeb.Retrieved5 May2011.
- ^Bertorelli, Paul (23 July 2013)."Continental Buys Thielert Aircraft Engines".AVweb.Retrieved14 July2013.
- ^Paul Bertorelli (4 May 2015)."Continental Buys ECI".AVweb.Retrieved17 March2022.
- ^"Continentals ECi Buy: Will It Spike Prices? - Aviation Consumer".Aviation Consumer.3 November 2015.Retrieved17 March2022.
"In the simplest form, this comes down to the economics of supply and demand. There were only three sources for new cylinders for Continental engines, including Continental's own factory cylinders, Millenium cylinders from Superior and ECi. It's a narrow market and when you take one of the supply sources out, a constant demand will likely drive prices up," said Thomas Dunn, RAM's director of marketing.
- ^Kelli Dugan (5 May 2015)."Mobile's Continental Motors to acquire Danbury Aerospace ops in San Antonio".al.Retrieved17 March2022.
- ^Bertorelli, Paul (29 March 2019)."Continental Motors Gets a New Name".AVweb.Retrieved15 March2019.
- ^O'Connor, Kate (17 March 2022)."Continental Aerospace Technologies Names New CEO".AVweb.Archivedfrom the original on 18 March 2022.Retrieved18 March2022.
- ^McCutcheon, Kimble D. (28 January 2020)."Continental's Radial Aircraft Engines".Aircraft Engine Historical Society.Retrieved13 September2021.
- ^Leyes, p. 121.
- ^Aircraft Recognition Manual Supplement No. 6.Department of the Air Force. December 1956. p. 20.ISBN9780359123834.Retrieved13 September2021.
- ^Aviation Machinist's Mate 3.Washington: Bureau of Naval Personnel, Department of the Navy. 1957. p. 133.Retrieved13 September2021.
Bibliography
edit- Foss, Christopher F. (1974).Jane's Pocket Book of Modern Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles.Collier Books. pp.45–49. 73-15286.
- Gunston, Bill (2006).World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines, 5th Edition.Phoenix Mill, Gloucestershire, England, UK: Sutton Publishing Limited.ISBN0-7509-4479-X.
- Leyes II, Richard A.; William A. Fleming (1999).The History of North American Small Gas Turbine Aircraft Engines.Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution.ISBN1-56347-332-1.
External links
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