The first IO-550 was delivered in 1983 and the type remains in production.[1][2]

The IOF-550 is an Aerosance FADEC equipped version of the same basic engine, the TSIO-550 is a dual turbocharged version and the TSIOL-550 is a liquid-cooled variant.[1][2][3]

There is no O-550 engine, which would be a carburetor-equipped variant, hence the base model is the IO-550.[1][2]

This engine family competes with the Lycoming IO-580 series which are also six-cylinder engines with similar power output and weight.[4]