No engine has been more important to general aviation than Continental's A-65. It powered much of the post-WWII light aircraft boom, trained the lion’s share of civilian-trained pilots, and still motors on. It was light, relatively powerful, reliable, offered good fuel consumption, and was inexpensive. War surplus engines and parts were available in profusion after WWII, and New Old Stock parts continue to keep A-series engine running. The A-65 was part of a design series that began with the A-50 and ended with the A100. A-series engines also laid the ground work for nearly all Continental aircraft engines with less than 400 in³, and influenced the larger ones.

This series begins with the A-50, where most A-series features will be introduced. Additional articles reveal characteristics of models that followed. A-65 components are often pictured, but they are representative of the entire A-Series. Careful readers will note that some A-series designations in these articles include a dash while others do not. The author has elected to follow the designation system that currently appears in the engine's Type Certificate Data Sheet.