Cause for celebration

Continental specialized in automobile engines until 1929, when it made its first aircraft engine—a 170-horsepower seven-cylinder radial, quickly followed by a 36-horsepower four-cylinder horizontally opposed engine for light airplanes. The company now manufactures six series of certified avgas and diesel/Jet-A piston engines, and engines for experimental aircraft. Continental estimates 150,000 of its engines are flying worldwide today.

The highlight of Continental’s celebration was a tour of the expansive 225,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, which was completed in 2021. This new facility replaced multiple buildings the company had occupied since moving from Muskegon, Michigan, in 1966.

The tour was impressive. Continental installed new machinery when it built the facility, and the scenes of sparks flying as workers cut, ground, and shaped engine components are largely history. The employees are still there, but now they mainly focus on quality control and assembly while the big machinery performs the tedious, repetitive, and dangerous work.

On one side of the facility raw castings and forgings for engine blocks, crankcases, camshafts, and cylinders are machined and refined to exacting specifications—in a process so quiet no ear plugs are necessary—while on the other side of the facility assembly takes place. Continental has configured a final assembly line for avgas engines staffed by approximately 15 technicians (diesel engines are built in Continental’s Sankt Egidien, Germany, facility.) The technicians, each one specializing in one step of the assembly process, can assemble one engine per hour. And because every avgas engine Continental produces passes down the same assembly line, technicians are trained to work on every permutation of engine and accessory a customer might order. On a normal workday, Continental completes eight to 10 engines.

Completed engines are run through a series of tests according to the engine model and specification for several hours. By the time a customer receives a new
Continental engine, the break-in period has already begun.

Continental provided aviation media a special treat before the evening’s gala celebration—flights around beautiful Mobile Bay in an IO-370-powered Cessna 172, an IO-550-powered Cirrus SR22, and a CD-300 V6 turbodiesel-powered Diamond DA50 to experience a range of the company’s engines.

Having flown the terrific IO-370 many times in the AOPA Sweepstakes Cessna 170, and the powerful, throaty IO-550 in AOPA’s Beechcraft Bonanza, I eagerly awaited my first flight behind the CD-300. With full-authority digital engine controls, the starting procedure—even for a hot start—was simple. What surprised me was how extraordinarily quiet the engine was, even at takeoff power (although the composite MT propeller and the composite DA50 fuselage likely helped reduce the noise level in the cabin.) Regardless, the CD-300 proved to be a smooth, efficient, and user-friendly powerplant.

During the evening’s gala event, Continental CEO Karen Hong emphasized that even more important than the recent $125 million investment in facilities and equipment are the innovative and dedicated employees who design, build, and service these iconic engines. She said they deserve the credit for the company’s success.

In this issue, we recognize additional aviation companies who are celebrating milestones (see “Happy Anniversary,”). AOPA thanks these companies and their employees who have contributed so much to the growth and vibrancy of general aviation for decades.

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