Coffman engine starter

Okie dokie, kiddo. So, imagine you're playing with a toy car and you want to make it go really fast. You have to wind up the spring inside the car by spinning the wheels backwards. Then, when you let go, the spring releases all its stored up energy and makes the car zoom forward.

A Coffman engine starter is kind of like that toy car spring. It's a little device that helps start bigger engines on airplanes and boats. Instead of a spring, though, it uses a explosive charge.

When you press a button or flip a switch to start the engine, the Coffman starter releases a very small amount of highly explosive material called a "cartridge". This cartridge creates a little explosion that pushes a piston forward, like a finger pressing down on a toy car's spring.

That piston then turns a gear that is connected to your engine's crankshaft. And when the crankshaft starts turning, well, that's when the magic happens! Your engine roars to life and you can fly or sail wherever you need to go!

So, that's basically how a Coffman engine starter works. It's like a really strong finger that gives your engine a good shove so that it can start up and do its job.