# Why are small single engined airplanes so noisy?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-small-single-engined-airplanes-so-noisy/155139>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 14, 2003, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-small-single-engined-airplanes-so-noisy/155139 "2003-02-14T20:08:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Sock\_Munkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Sock\_Munkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sock_Munkey)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-small-single-engined-airplanes-so-noisy/155139/41 "2003-02-16T19:32:23Z")

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The air cooled engines are also somewhat louder than the water cooled ones aren’t they?

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**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-small-single-engined-airplanes-so-noisy/155139/42 "2003-02-16T19:50:47Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Sock Munkey \*  
> \*\*The air cooled engines are also somewhat louder than the water cooled ones aren’t they? \*\*

Water jackets around the cylinders tend to reduce some of the mechanical noise of the engine. That noise is insignificant compared to the propeller noise, though.

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