Since the introduction of the internal combustion engine, engineers and entrepreneurs alike have searched for ways to squeeze more horsepower from each gallon of fuel. Despite those efforts, the traditional two-magneto system that provides the spark for combustion in an aircraft piston engine has remained essentially unchanged since World War II. In pairs, magnetos have proved reliable when properly maintained. As mechanical devices, however, their disadvantage is many moving parts subject to failure, made worse when an engine is exposed to a wide variety of temperatures.
