A small air-cooled internal combustion engine includes an aluminum cylinder block, an aluminum cylinder head welded to the aluminum cylinder block, and a weld securing the aluminum cylinder block to the aluminum cylinder head, wherein a joint having a first length is formed between the aluminum cylinder block and the aluminum cylinder head and wherein the weld extends for a second length that is at least 25% of the first length.

An air/oil-cooled internal combustion engine capable of increasing accuracy in detection of the temperature of the air/oil-cooled internal combustion engine by a temperature sensor and carrying out the warm-up operation after the start-up of the air/oil-cooled internal combustion engine favorably. The air/oil-cooled internal combustion engine includes cooling fins that are provided on the circumferences of a cylinder block and a cylinder head; and a cooling passage that is provided in a combustion chamber upper wall covering a combustion chamber of the cylinder head and is used for cooling the combustion chamber upper wall with lubrication oil. The air/oil-cooled internal combustion engine has a temperature sensor configured to detect the temperature of the air/oil-cooled internal combustion engine by detecting the temperature of oil. The temperature sensor faces a cooling oil outlet portion of the cooling passage.

An air/oil-cooled internal combustion engine capable of increasing accuracy in detection of the temperature of the air/oil-cooled internal combustion engine by a temperature sensor and carrying out the warm-up operation after the start-up of the air/oil-cooled internal combustion engine favorably. The air/oil-cooled internal combustion engine includes cooling fins that are provided on the circumferences of a cylinder block and a cylinder head; and a cooling passage that is provided in a combustion chamber upper wall covering a combustion chamber of the cylinder head and is used for cooling the combustion chamber upper wall with lubrication oil. The air/oil-cooled internal combustion engine has a temperature sensor configured to detect the temperature of the air/oil-cooled internal combustion engine by detecting the temperature of oil. The temperature sensor faces a cooling oil outlet portion of the cooling passage.

An improved air-cooled aviation engine includes a compact combustion chamber having an intake valve opening, an exhaust valve opening, and a generally elliptical shape. The elliptical shape has a major axis and a minor axis, with the major axis intersecting both the intake valve opening and the exhaust valve opening. In some examples, the major axis is the same length or shorter than a diameter of a cylinder bore of the engine, and the minor axis is smaller than the major axis. Combustion is thus constrained to a smaller area than that of the cylinder bore.

An improved air-cooled aviation engine includes a compact combustion chamber having an intake valve opening, an exhaust valve opening, and a generally elliptical shape. The elliptical shape has a major axis and a minor axis, with the major axis intersecting both the intake valve opening and the exhaust valve opening. In some examples, the major axis is the same length or shorter than a diameter of a cylinder bore of the engine, and the minor axis is smaller than the major axis. Combustion is thus constrained to a smaller area than that of the cylinder bore.

An improved air-cooled aviation engine includes a compact combustion chamber having an intake valve opening, an exhaust valve opening, and a generally elliptical shape. The elliptical shape has a major axis and a minor axis, with the major axis intersecting both the intake valve opening and the exhaust valve opening. In some examples, the major axis is the same length or shorter than a diameter of a cylinder bore of the engine, and the minor axis is smaller than the major axis. Combustion is thus constrained to a smaller area than that of the cylinder bore.

An improved air-cooled aviation engine includes a compact combustion chamber having an intake valve opening, an exhaust valve opening, and a generally elliptical shape. The elliptical shape has a major axis and a minor axis, with the major axis intersecting both the intake valve opening and the exhaust valve opening. In some examples, the major axis is the same length or shorter than a diameter of a cylinder bore of the engine, and the minor axis is smaller than the major axis. Combustion is thus constrained to a smaller area than that of the cylinder bore.