How Aircraft Engines are Mounted?

Reciprocating engines, or aircraft piston engines, are one of the most important parts of aircraft for their general functionality. Often, these engines are mounted to the aircraft using welded steel tubing mount structures and incorporate engine mount rings, v-struts, and fittings for attachment of the mount to the nacelle by means of steel bolts that are heat treated.

These steel bolts are extremely significant to engine mounting, as they support the entirety of the stresses caused by the propeller during flight. While the upper bolts alone are able to withstand the weight of engines while aircraft are grounded, flight causes torsional stress that affects all bolts. Dynamic engine mounts are housed in each of the four positioned fittings and attachment points of the engine mount ring.

The engine mount ring is where the engine is attached to the aircraft and is constructed of steel tubing with a large, circular diameter. This shape is important as it allows the engine mount ring to surround the engine near the point of balance. Meanwhile, the engine is attached to the mount by means of dynafocal mounts which are forward of the mount ring’s point of balance.

Shock mounts, or rubber and steel engine suspensions, were created in response to aircraft engines continuously growing larger through time. This helped alleviate the amount of vibration by absorption and also restricts multidirectional engine movement. Most shock mounts often have rubber and metal parts with the rubber supporting the engine and metal snubbers to limit movement that is excessive. Vibration isolators are also often important units to aid with directional support of the aircraft engines.

Vibration isolators play an important role on aircraft mounts in the fact that they support the power plants by forward and aft isolator mounts that work to isolate the structure from harmful engine vibrations. Both the forward and aft isolators allow for thermal expansion of the aircraft engine while continuing to take on the load and are comprised of resilient materials that are enclosed in a case of metal. These resilient materials do allow for slight deformation in order to minimize vibrations before they can reach the aircraft. Even with the failure of the materials, the isolators will still support the aircraft engine.

---

1. alex marsh
2. Posted on November 11, 2019
3. aviation

---

Related Blogs