It’s been 100 years since Continental built its first engine, and Continentals have powered dozens of milestone airplanes, but its storied history is as much a rap against the company as it is an undeniable measure of success. Most pilots incorrectly believe that Continental is building the same engines the same way it has for decades. But nothing could be further from the truth. Though Continental continues to build and support engines that were first introduced 50 or more years ago, almost nothing about the way the engines are manufactured and the materials used are the same as they were even five years ago. Today’s Continental is a modern engineering and manufacturing operation that would surprise any pilot who believes the company is doing nothing more than the same old thing.
The reason pilots believe there is nothing new at Continental is that the direct drive, horizontally opposed, air cooled piston engine remains the most efficient, reliable and economical powerplant for light airplanes. Continental was the first to recognize the superiority of the horizontally opposed engine while others concentrated on radial, inline or V-configured cylinders. The advantages of the horizontal arrangement are so overwhelming that when Honda collaborated with Continental to create a clean sheet aircraft piston-engine design a few years ago, even Honda-widely celebrated for engine innovation-selected the direct drive horizontal design. It is because Continental’s engines look basically the same as they did years ago that pilots refuse to believe great progress has been made.
