Looking at this design, its easy to see how constricted the plug well firing area becomes, thus its not as efficient at delivering hot spark into the fuel/air mixture. Massive electrode types typically have two large nickel-alloy electrodes. Typical massive plugs refer to the electrode design, not the actual physical size of the plug itself. But before we run some scenarios on which is the best spark plug for your engine, lets take a moment to describe what the differences are between massive and fine wire spark plugs. This decision, if based on cost alone, mostly revolves around how much you fly the airplane and if a few percent better fuel economy is worth the extra cost of the more expensive plugs. We saw one recently at Aircraft Spruce and Specialty (Even if you dont need the plugs right away, buying them on sale saves a pile of money.īecause of the expense of fine wire plugs, we have some guidelines and testimonials to help you decide if theyre right for you. Occasionally, other brands such as Autolite go on sale at $30 for fine wire plugs and $15 for the massive types, so watch for these. The cost difference is slightly more than three to one for Champion plugs-roughly $22 versus $70 each at list prices. Its up to the user to decide if the cost advantage of the more common massive electrode design outweighs the more costly fine wire design advantages. The latest Champion guide lists nine different electrode configurations in its offerings. For massive plugs, the standard is the two-electrode configuration shown in the photos here. In the fine wire group, the single iridium wire is the most common. There are several variations in electrode designs within the fine wire and massive categories. Fine wire plugs have more in common with traditional automotive plugs, in that a single electrode-consisting of a small-gauge wire-forms the spark gap with a center electrode. Spark Plug AnatomyĪs shown in the illustrations here, a massive electrode plug looks just like the name implies: two (usually) huge outer electrodes surrounding a center electrode provide an air gap across which the spark travels to ignite the fuel/air mixture. In this article, well make the pitch for spending the additional money, at least for owners who fly high-performance aircraft and whoĪre interested in fuel economy and long-term durability. The popular massive electrode plug sells for a third less than its fine-wire electrode cousin. Thats definitely the case with spark plugs. In aviation as in everything else, youre confronted with the dilemma of one product that does the same thing as another, but costs twice or three times as much. Maybe a lot of bucks, actually.īut its a case of spending more to save more. What kind of spark plug do you have in your aircraft engine? Do you even know or care? Or should you just leave that up to the shop and buy whats cheapest? While delegating this choice to your shop is the no-hassle option, we think having an informed opinion on spark plugs might save you a few bucks.
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