Producing between 230 and 350 horsepower (170 and 260 kW)[1] these engines are installed in a large variety of aircraft.[2] The main competitors are the Continental IO-520 and IO-550 series.
An AEIO version was developed for high-performance competition aerobatics aircraft. Starting at 260 hp (190 kW) the power was eventually increased to 300 hp (220 kW). The AEIO-540 family has achieved considerable success in aircraft such as the Extra 300, CAP 232, and Zivko Edge 540.
Variants
All engines have an additional prefix preceding the 540 to indicate the specific configuration of the engine.[1] The numerous engine suffixes denote different accessories such as different manufacturers' carburetors, or different magnetos.
O-540
Standard, direct-drive, normally aspirated Opposed engine, equipped with a carburetor
IO-540
Normally aspirated engine with continuous fuel Injection
AEIO-540
Normally aspirated engine with fuel injection and inverted lubrication for Aerobatic use
Turbocharged with a FADEC control system using Lycoming's iE2 system, offering independent Electronic sensors and fuel injection controls for each cylinder, which manage detonation and exhaust gas temperature, make the engine compatible with a range of fuel compositions, producing up to 375 hp (280 kW).[3][4][5]
An LTIO-540 mounted on the right wing of a Piper Chieftain: The turbocharger can be seen in the upper right of the image.
Gearbox at the front end of the crankshaft to drive the propeller at fewer revolutions per minute than the engine, normally aspirated with fuel injection, dry sump engine built specifically for the Aero Commander 560F
TIGO-540
Turbo-charged, injected and geared
IGSO-540
Supercharger driven by the engine, gearbox to drive propeller, and fuel injection (up to 380 hp (280 kW))
VO-540
Vertically mounted engine for use in a helicopter, normally aspirated and equipped with a carburetor
IVO-540
Normally aspirated engine with fuel injection, mounted vertically for use in a helicopter
TVO-540
Turbocharged engine equipped with a carburetor, mounted vertically for use in a helicopter
TIVO-540
Turbocharged engine with fuel injection, mounted vertically for use in a helicopter
HIO-540
Helicopter engine mounted horizontally as in fixed-wing aircraft, normally aspirated with fuel injection; not used in any fixed-wing aircraft[2]
TIO-541
Same as a TIO-540, except the "1" indicates an integral accessory drive[7]
TIGO-541
Same as a TIGO-540, except the "1" indicates an integral accessory drive[7]
