PXI RC 40 Engine

Piaggio engines were initially called Stella (“star”). A number that indicated the number of cylinders on the engine followed the name. Successively the letter P and a progressive number in Roman numerals were added: if the engine had a reducer it was marked R and if it had a compressor it was marked C. There was also a number indicating power rating in bhp. From the commencement of its engine production to 1943 Piaggio designed and produced 16 different engine models, starting from the 370 bhp PVII and ending with the 1,500 bhp PXXII. The (14-cylinder) 610 bhp, air-cooled PXI RC with reducer and compressor went into production in 1934. In 1938 the PXI RC 40 version reached a 1,000-bhp power output at an altitude of 4,000 m and was mounted on several Italian aircrafts. The PXI is the most famous of Piaggio's engines because it holds various records for altitude and speed on loaded aircraft made by Piaggio and other brands, such as the Caproni Ca. 161 and SIAI S.79. The multiple versions of the basic RC 40 engine demonstrate the dedication of Piaggio and its engineers Aldo Spolti and Eugenio Mancini to the research for performances that would suit aircraft operational and reliability needs.