Bruce - Thanks very much for the input. I tend to agree with much of what you said. I will certainly add the items you mentioned that I neglected to include, and re-organize the disscussion a little.

However, about the technical description of the functioning of the engine - I believe that if you are going to be operating and maintaining a mechanical device such as an engine, I think it is very important to understand their inner workings. With a proper understanding of their intricasies, you build up a great deal of respect for just how complicated and precise they are, and are encourage to take good care of it. If things start to wrong with it, you will stand a better chance of diagnosing the problem if you understand how the thing works. An engine should not simply be a 'black box' that you stick on the front of your plane to make it go forward, not understanding how it works. That is why I believe that someone getting started with engines should know the basics of engine operation first before they begin.

Thanks again those who replied. Cmulder - I will increase the font size a little.