How Do Cars Propel and Planes Fly with Different Engines?

[Mozart]

Hello I have a few questions regarding cars and planes.

I don't understand how a car or any locomotive with a combustion engine is propelled. I understand up until how a mixture of air, and fuel is pumped into a cylinder, a piston rises, and the spark ignites the explosion, and then the exhaust port opens allowing for the exhaust to travel somewhere. Does the force created by the explosion go towards the exhaust port, and that is what gives the car its propulsion? Once the thrust is directed in that direction where does it go? I was told once that the transmission is what gives a car its propulsion so I am thinking now does the force end up going to the trasmission? I am just very confused.

I would also like to know how a car reverses, and what allows for this.

As for planes what kind of engines were used on old fashioned ones from like ww1, and ww2? The ones with the propellers. Were they anything like gas turbine engines on modern planes?

 

[sid_galt]

Car
1. It is not an explosion in the combustion chamber. It is burning. An explosion can occur but it would damage the engine.
2. The force is applied on the piston which is connected to a crankshaft which rotates the wheels. Try wikipedia or howstuffworks for the basics of a car engine. They explain the car engine basics pretty well.

Planes
Propeller planes normally use spark ignition reciprocating engines aka car engines only they are many in number for high power with some other small differences.

Gas turbines are used as turboprops in helicopters, propeller planes(I think) and jet planes, generation of electricity, etc.

 

[Mozart]

Thank you!