The Continental O-240 engine is a four-cylinder, horizontally opposed, air-cooled aircraft engine that was developed in the late 1960s for use in light aircraft by Continental Motors, Inc. The first O-240 was certified on 7 July 1971.
Design and development The O-240 was a new engine design derived from the six-cylinder Continental O-360 and introduced in 1971. It is generally similar in overall dimensions to the Continental O-200, but with a higher 8.5:1 compression ratio, designed to run on 100/130 avgas. The O-240 delivers 30% more power than the O-200 while it weighs only 12% more. It may be mounted in tractor or pusher configuration.Christy, Joe: Engines for Homebuilt Aircraft & Ultralights, pages 58-59. TAB Books, 1983.
The O-240 was produced under license in the United Kingdom by Rolls-Royce Limited and was used to power the Reims-Cessna FRA150 Aerobat, a more powerful aerobatic model of the Cessna 150 constructed in France by Reims Aviation under license.Gunston 1989, p.42. Rolls-Royce acquired the rights to the O-240, but not the IO-240 in 1977.
The fuel-injected IO-240-A and -B were introduced in 1993. The A and B versions differ only in the type of fuel injector used.
The IOF-240 is similar to the IO-240-B except that it employs an Aerosance FADEC system to control the ignition and fuel injection systems. The engine was not selected to power any production North American-manufactured aircraft until the Liberty XL2 entered production in 2006 powered by the IOF-240-B.
Variants
O-240-A Dual ignition, at 2800 rpm, dry weight including starter and generator. Uses a Marvel-Schebler MA-3SPA IO 5067 carburetor. Certified 7 July 1971 IO-240-A Dual ignition, at 2800 rpm, dry weight , uses a TCM 639231A27 fuel injector IO-240-B Dual ignition, at 2800 rpm, dry weight , uses a TCM 639231A34 fuel injector IOF-240-B Aerosance FADEC system controls the ignition and fuel injection systems, at 2800 rpm, dry weight
Applications
O-240 AESL Airtourer T3 Reims Cessna FRA150 Aerobat ("R" meaning a Rolls-Royce-built O-240) Rutan Voyager (front engine) Practavia Sprite Rollason Condor (D62C) St Croix Pietenpol Aerial Tri-R KIS TR-1 Warner Revolution II IO-240 American Homebuilts John Doe Diamond DA20-C1 Eagle Aircraft 150B Rans S-16 Shekari Roko Aero NG4 IOF-240-B Issoire APM 40 Simba Liberty XL2
Specifications (IOF-240-B)
See also Lycoming IO-233 List of aircraft engines
References
Notes
Bibliography
Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989.