Lycoming IO-720

The Lycoming IO-720 engine is a large displacement, horizontally

IO-720
opposed, eight-cylinder aircraft engine featuring four cylinders per
side, manufactured by Lycoming Engines.[1] Type Piston aero-
engine
There is no carburated version of the engine, which would have National origin United States
been designated O-720 and therefore the base model is the IO-720.
The IO-720 and the Jabiru 5100 are the only flat-eight Manufacturer Lycoming
configuration aircraft engines currently in production.[2] Engines
First run 1961
Major applications PAC Fletcher
Contents Piper
Comanche
Design and development
400
Variants Helio Courier
Applications Produced 1961–present
Specifications (IO-720A) Developed from Lycoming O-
General characteristics 360
Components
Performance
See also
References

Design and development

The engine has a fuel injection system which schedules fuel flow proportionally to the airflow, with fuel
vaporization occurring at the intake ports. The engine has a displacement of 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres)
and produces 400 hp (298 kW). The cylinders have air-cooled heads cast from aluminum alloy with a fully
machined combustion chamber.[1][3]

The first IO-720 was type certified on 25 October 1961 to the CAR 13 standard as amended to 15 June
1956 including 13-1, 13-2, 13-3, 13-4.[2]

In 2009 a new IO-720-A1B cost US$113,621, with a rebuilt engine retailing for US$75,435 and a factory
overhaul priced at US$66,289.[4]

Variants
IO-720-A1A
Eight-cylinder, horizontally opposed, air-cooled direct drive, fuel injection, internal oil jet
piston cooling, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), certified 25 October 1961[2]
IO-720-A1B
 fuel-injected, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), same as -A1A except
equipped with Bendix S8LN-1208 and S8LN-1209 magnetos, certified 22 February
1971[2][5]
IO-720-A1BD
fuel-injected, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), same as -A1B except has a
dual magneto, certified 30 December 1976[2]
IO-720-B1A
fuel-injected, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), same as -A1A except for top
exhaust cylinders and offset exhaust valve shroud tubes, certified 4 November 1965[2]
IO-720-B1B
fuel-injected, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), same as -B1A except
equipped with Bendix S8LN-1208 and S8LN-1209 magnetos and Bendix RSA-10ED1
fuel injection, certified 22 February 1971[2][5]
IO-720-B1BD
fuel-injected, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), same as -B1B except has a
dual magneto, certified 30 December 1976[2][5]
IO-720-C1B
fuel-injected, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), same as -A1B except that it
has up-exhaust cylinder heads, certified 22 December 1971[2]
IO-720-C1BD
fuel-injected, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), same as -C1B except has a
dual magneto, certified 28 January 1977[2]
IO-720-D1B
fuel-injected, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), same as -A1B except has a
rear type air inlet housing instead of a front inlet, certified 29 October 1973[2][5]
IO-720-D1BD
fuel-injected, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), same as -D1B except has a
dual magneto, certified 28 January 1977[2]
IO-720-D1C
fuel-injected, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), same as -D1B except
equipped with an angled fuel injector adapter, certified 15 April 1982[2][5]
IO-720-D1CD
fuel-injected, 722 cubic inches (11.8 litres), 400 hp (298 kW), same as -D1C except has a
dual magneto, certified 10 June 1977[2][5]

Applications
IO-720-A1A

Northwest Ranger - factory installation

Piper Comanche 400 - factory installation[1][6]

IO-720-A1B

Beechcraft 80 - Excalibur and Queen Air conversions[5]

Helio Courier - Helio Courier H-800 factory installation
Pacific Aerospace FU-24-954[5]
Piper PA-36 Pawnee Brave - Johnson Aircraft conversion[1][5]

IO-720-A1BD

Barr 6[7]
IO-720-B1A

Northwest Ranger C-6 - factory installation

IO-720-B1B

Aero Commander - MR. R.P.M. conversion[5]

IO-720-B1BD

Aero Commander - MR. R.P.M. conversion[5]

IO-720-D1B

Embraer EMB 202 Ipanema - factory installation[1]

IO-720-D1C

Piper PA-36 Pawnee Brave - Johnson Aircraft conversion[1][5]

IO-720-D1CD

Piper PA-36 Pawnee Brave - Johnson Aircraft conversion[1][5]

Specifications (IO-720A)
Data from Lycoming Specialty Datasheet[3] and TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET NO. 1E15, Revision 6[2]

General characteristics
Type: 8-cylinder fuel-injected horizontally opposed aircraft engine
Bore: 5.125 in (130.18 mm)
Stroke: 4.375 (111.12 mm)
Displacement: 722 in³ (11.8 litres)
Length: 46.41 In (117.88 cm)
Width: 34.25 in (87.00 cm)
Height: 22.53 in (57.23 cm)
Dry weight: 597 lb (271 kg) dry

Components
Fuel system: Bendix RSA-10AD1 fuel-injection
Fuel type: 100LL avgas
Cooling system: air-cooled

Performance
Power output: 400 hp (297 kW) at 2650 rpm
Specific power: 0.55 hp/in³ (25.2 kW/L)
 Compression ratio: 8.70:1
Power-to-weight ratio: 0.67 hp/lb (1.10 kW/kg)

See also
Jabiru 5100

References
1. Lycoming Engines (n.d.). "Lycoming IO-720" (http://www.lycoming.textron.com/engines/serie
s/720-series-engines.html). Retrieved 2008-12-19.
2. Federal Aviation Administration (February 1988). "TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET NO.
1E15, Revision 6" (http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgMakeMo
del.nsf/0/C3B4760B46E0F9A18525670E0056FDE0?OpenDocument&Highlight=io-720).
Retrieved 2008-12-13.
3. Lycoming Engines (2004). "Specialty datasheet" (http://www.lycoming.textron.com/engines/s
eries/pdfs/Specialty%20insert.pdf) (PDF). Retrieved 2008-12-20.
4. Lycoming Engines (2009). "2009 Lycoming Service Engine Price List" (https://web.archive.or
g/web/20090612035718/http://www.lycoming.textron.com/utility/global-resources/2009-After
market-Engine-Price-List.pdf) (PDF). Archived from the original (http://www.lycoming.textron.
com/utility/global-resources/2009-Aftermarket-Engine-Price-List.pdf) (PDF) on June 12,
2009. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
5. Lycoming Engines (n.d.). "Engine Finder" (http://www.lycoming.textron.com/engines/engine-f
inder/home.do?action=search). Retrieved 2008-12-19.
6. Demand Media (2008). "The Piper PA-24 Comanche" (http://www.airliners.net/aircraft-data/s
tats.main?id=301). Retrieved 2008-12-20.
7. Morrison, Steve (8 August 2008). "Morrison 6 Specifications" (http://www.morrisonaircraft.co
m/specifications.htm). Retrieved 11 October 2012.

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