Aircraft magnetos are highly reliable, redundant electrical generators essential for engine ignition, firing spark plugs independently of the engine-driven alternator.
They generate initial voltage through a permanent magnet spinning near a primary coil, creating changing magnetic flux linkages.
A significant electrical spike (20,000-30,000 volts) is then amplified in a secondary coil, occurring when the primary coil's magnetic field collapses, thereby igniting 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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