The Lycoming TIO-541 is a small fuel injected six cylinder engine designed to power smaller aircraft.  It was developed from earlier Lycoming engines with flat opposed cylinders that have powered generations of light aircraft since the 1950s.

Flat aero engines such as the TIO-541 became popular in smaller aircraft after World War 2 because they were cheaper to manufacture than radial engines.  They also had a smaller frontal area which resulted in less drag.

The Lycoming company began making engines at the beginning of the Twentieth Century and began making aero engines in the 1920s to meet the demand for light and reliable engines.

It began making the flat four cylinder 0-360 engine in the 1950s and the larger six cylinder 0-540 from 1957.  Both these engines are very popular and power huge numbers of Cessna and Piper aircraft, and small helicopters.  They are still in production.

The Lycoming TI0-541 is a development of those engines.  It was first run in 1963, entered production in 1965 and also remains in production today.  The first version generated 231kW (310hp) and the most powerful version can generate 336kW (450hp).

These engines power aircraft such as crop dusters, helicopters and light twin engine aircraft such as Beechcraft Barons and Piper Navajos.