Aircraft magnetos are simple, reliable electrical generators crucial for igniting the fuel-air mixture in an engine's cylinders via spark plugs.
Airplanes are equipped with two independent magnetos, each firing one spark plug per cylinder, providing redundancy and enabling engine operation without relying on the alternator.
Magnetos generate high voltage through a spinning permanent magnet inducing changes in magnetic flux within a primary coil; a subsequent collapse of the primary coil's magnetic field then creates a powerful 20,000-30,000-volt spike in a secondary coil to ignite the spark plugs.
A quick turn of the key is all a pilot usually needs to start the engine and go, but have you ever wondered what’s really going on beyond the fire wall to excite those spark plugs? The aircraft components that make it happen, of course, are the magnetos — simple and highly reliable electrical generators. Here’s how magnetos work:
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