Aircraft magnetos are highly reliable, redundant electrical generators that provide spark plug ignition, allowing the engine to operate independently of the alternator.
Each magneto creates voltage using a spinning permanent magnet that interacts with a primary winding (heavy copper wire) and a secondary winding (fine wire).
Ignition occurs when breaker points in the primary winding open, causing its magnetic field to collapse, which induces a powerful 20,000 to 30,000-volt spike in the secondary winding, firing 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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