Drone / UAV Engines

Find UAV Engine suppliers and manufacturers, including heavy fuel and multi-fuel engines for UAVs, EFI and FI engines for drones and small UAV engines.
Overview Drone / UAV Engines
By Staff Writer Last updated: August 8th, 2024

Heavy Fuel & Multi Fuel Engines for UAVs

Engines powering UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and drones are usually fuelled by petrol, diesel or heavy fuel. Heavy fuels such as JP-8 are aviation-grade fuels that are widely available and inexpensive. However, heavy fuel engines are usually only suitable for larger UAV platforms due to their extra weight, which arises due to the engine’s need to withstand a higher compression ratio during ignition. Some UAV engines are multi-fuel, providing them with greater operational flexibility.

FI Engines for Drones

UAV EFI Engine by HFE

UAV EFI Engine by HFE

Petrol and heavy fuel engines for UAVs can be split into two categories – carburettor engines and fuel injection engines. In a carburettor, fuel is vaporised and mixed with air prior to entering the engine. The fuel-air ratio is controlled by the throttle, which can open or close to control the air intake. In a fuel injection engine system, the fuel is metered according to the airflow measured in the FI engine, and is vaporised and mixed with air before being injected into each cylinder.

Carburettor engines are easier to start and require less maintenance due to having fewer parts. Fuel injection engines are more efficient, as they allow the same fuel-air ratio to be provided for each cylinder, whereas the operation of a carburettor may result in uneven distribution of air.

UAV-85 Four cylinder engine for UAV by UAVOS

UAV-85 Four cylinder engine by UAVOS

EFI Engines

Electronic fuel injection (EFI) engines utilise an engine control unit (ECU) that reads data from sensors mounted within the engine and controls the fuel-to-air ratio based on current engine conditions. This added degree of control makes EFI engines more efficient than regular FI engines.

Drone Engine Types

Most drone engines are piston-driven internal combustion engines, with the most common UAV engines being two- and four-stroke engines. The number determines how many strokes of the piston are required to perform all functions required for the engine’s combustion cycle. Two-stroke UAV engines are simpler and lighter and provide a superior power-to-weight ratio, but have higher emissions and fuel consumption than a four-stroke engine. Engines can also vary in the number of cylinders, with a greater number of cylinders meaning a higher power output.

Multi Fuel 2 Cylinder UAV Engine by Sky Power

Multi Fuel 2 Cylinder UAV Engine by Sky Power

Rotary UAV engines

Rotary engines for UAVs operate on a different principle to piston-driven engines. The most common rotary engine design is the Wankel engine, which uses a rotor spinning within a housing to carry out the engine’s combustion cycle. The fuel intake on one side of the rotor occurs nearly simultaneously with the power stroke on the other side, giving the engine a smooth power delivery.

UAV Wankel Engines

Wankel rotary engines use fewer parts than piston-driven engines and are lighter and more compact for a given power output, making them suitable for UAV applications. They have historically been prone to sealing issues as well as higher emissions, but modern manufacturers have revived the design for use in UAVs and claim to have solved many of the issues.

Products (56)

SP-28 CR Two Stroke Engine

Single-Cylinder UAV engine

Single-Cylinder UAV engine
...ngest standing engine in our lineup and well known by industry veterans for its robustness and...
SP-55 TS ROS Two Stroke Engine

Single-Cylinder UAV engine

Single-Cylinder UAV engine
...act 1-cylinder engines on the market....
SP-55 FI TS ROS Two Stroke Engine

Fuel Injected Single-Cylinder UAV engine

Fuel Injected Single-Cylinder UAV engine
...ingle cylinder UAV engine with 55 ccm is the largest single cylinder engine in our lineup and well...
SP-56 ROS Two Stroke Engine

Two-Cylinder UAV engine

Two-Cylinder UAV engine
... dual cylinder engine in the Sky Power portfolio. It is also the newest, forged using the proven...
Two-Cylinder UAV engine
... dual cylinder engine in the Sky Power portfolio. It is also the newest, forged using the proven...
SP-110 TS ROS Two Stroke Engine

Two-Cylinder UAV engine

Two-Cylinder UAV engine
...lications with UAV and UAS....
SP-110 FI TS ROS Two Stroke Engine

Two-Cylinder UAV engine

Two-Cylinder UAV engine
...lications with UAV and UAS....
Two-Cylinder UAV engine
...lications with UAV and UAS....
SP-170 TS ROS Two-Stroke Engine

Dual Cylinder UAV Engine

Dual Cylinder UAV Engine
... is a 2-stroke engine with twin spark and rear output shaft suitable for a variety of UAV and UAS...
SP-170 FI TS ROS Two-Stroke Engine

Dual Cylinder UAV Engine

Dual Cylinder UAV Engine
...ected 2-stroke engine with twin spark and rear output shaft, suitable for a variety of UAV and UAS...
SP-210 TS ROS 2-Stroke Engine

Dual Cylinder UAV Engine

Dual Cylinder UAV Engine
... is a 2-stroke engine with twin spark and rear output shaft suitable for a variety of UAV and UAS...
Dual Cylinder UAV Engine
... is a 2-stroke engine with twin spark and rear output shaft suitable for a variety of UAV and UAS...
Dual Cylinder UAV Engine
... is a 2-stroke engine with twin spark and rear output shaft suitable for a variety of UAV and UAS...
SP-210 FI TS ROS 2-Stroke Engine

Dual Cylinder UAV Engine

Dual Cylinder UAV Engine
...ted two-stroke engine with twin spark and rear output shaft suitable for a variety of UAV and UAS...
Two Cylinder UAV Engine
...r a variety of UAV and UAS applications....
SP-275 FI TS ROS 2-Stroke Engine

Two Cylinder UAV Engine

Two Cylinder UAV Engine
...r a variety of UAV and UAS applications....
SP-275 TS ROS 2-Stroke Engine

Two Cylinder UAV Engine

Two Cylinder UAV Engine
...r a variety of UAV and UAS applications....
SP-210 HF FI TS ROS 2-Stroke Engine

Dual Cylinder Heavy Fuel UAV Engine

Dual Cylinder Heavy Fuel UAV Engine
... fuel injected engine for heavy fuel, with twin spark and Starter Generator, suitable for a variety...
SP-275 TS CR 2-Stroke Engine with Rear Carburettor

Two Cylinder Engine for Target Drones

Two Cylinder Engine for Target Drones
... is a 2-stroke engine with twin spark, decompression valves and rear carburettor. It has been...
SP-275 TS CR 03 2-Stroke Engine with Rear Carburettor

Two Cylinder Engine for Target Drones

Two Cylinder Engine for Target Drones
... is a 2-stroke engine with twin spark, decompression valves and rear carburettor. It has been...
SP-180 SRE Hybrid UAV Wankel Engine

Hybrid Wankel Rotary Engine for UAV

Hybrid Wankel Rotary Engine for UAV
... single rotary engine with 180 ccm combustion chamber and a directly attached starter generator.... ... with multiple engine systems flying in all environmental conditions globally. The SP-180 has a...
SP-180 SRE Hybrid Demonstrator Engine for UAV

Demonstrator Hybrid Wankel Rotary Engine for UAV

Demonstrator Hybrid Wankel Rotary Engine for UAV
...strator hybrid engine can show you all the functionalities in a certain power range (limited by...
SP-180 HF SRE Hybrid UAV Wankel Engine

Heavy Fuel Hybrid Wankel Rotary Engine for UAV

Heavy Fuel Hybrid Wankel Rotary Engine for UAV
... single rotary engine with 180 ccm combustion chamber and a directly attached starter generator.... ......or. Predictable maintenance minimizes the engine down time, meaning greater operational capacity....
SP-170 HF FI TS ROS Heavy Fuel UAV Engine

Dual Cylinder Heavy Fuel Engine for UAVs

Dual Cylinder Heavy Fuel Engine for UAVs
...ected 2-stroke engine with twin spark and rear output shaft and starter generator, suitable for a...
DA 180

High-performance 180cc twin-cylinder 2-stroke UAV engine

High-performance 180cc twin-cylinder 2-stroke UAV engine
...gh-performance UAV engine engineered around the field-proven Desert Aircraft DA180 platform, now...
DA50

Compact 50cc single-cylinder 2-stroke UAV engine

Compact 50cc single-cylinder 2-stroke UAV engine
...and commercial UAV operations requiring extended endurance and advanced reliability. This...
DA120

High-output twin-cylinder EFI propulsion system for Group 3 UAVs

High-output twin-cylinder EFI propulsion system for Group 3 UAVs
...t DA 120cc EFI engine is a robust twin-cylinder powerplant engineered specifically for Group 3...
560 EFI

560cc EFI UAV engine for rugged military applications

560cc EFI UAV engine for rugged military applications
...is a precision-engineered 4-cylinder UAV engine that integrates Innoflight’s proprietary INF...
DA60

High-efficiency EFI UAV engine with integrated starter/alternator for Group 3 platforms

High-efficiency EFI UAV engine with integrated starter/alternator for Group 3 platforms
The DA60 UAV Engine is a precision-engineered, electronically fuel-injected propulsion unit...
DA100

Advanced fuel-injected propulsion for Group 3 unmanned systems

Advanced fuel-injected propulsion for Group 3 unmanned systems
... INF 100cc EFI Engine delivers highly refined, twin-cylinder propulsion for Group 3 UAVs up to 48 kg...
Limbach L-288 UAV EFI Engine

288cc EFI engine for 150-200 kg MTOW UAVs

288cc EFI engine for 150-200 kg MTOW UAVs
...njection (EFI) engine designed for UAVs with MTOWs of 150-200kg. The air-cooled engine can be...
SW75 UAV Heavy-Fuel Engine

75cc heavy fuel engine for military applications

75cc heavy fuel engine for military applications
...oke heavy fuel engine designed for military UAV applications. The air-cooled engine offers a high...
Limbach L-550 UAV EFI Engine

550cc four-cylinder EFI engine with 37kW output at 7500rpm

550cc four-cylinder EFI engine with 37kW output at 7500rpm
...njection (EFI) engine for UAVs. The air-cooled engine can be provided in clockwise or...
Limbach L-2400 UAV EFI Engine

2400cc EFI four-stroke boxer engine with liquid cooling

2400cc EFI four-stroke boxer engine with liquid cooling
...on (EFI) boxer engine designed for UAVs with MTOWs of 150-200kg. The liquid-cooled engine can be...
B2G120 UAV EFI Engine

120cc EFI engine with 1800-8000RPM range

120cc EFI engine with 1800-8000RPM range
...njection (EFI) engine featuring a proprietary ECU, dual redundant speed sensors and electronic...
iHE7 Hybrid Generator

Lightweight hybrid system with twin-cylinder 2-stroke EFI engine

Lightweight hybrid system with twin-cylinder 2-stroke EFI engine
...for the entire engine system....
Saito 120

120cc four-stroke UAV engine with highly efficient fuel consumption

120cc four-stroke UAV engine with highly efficient fuel consumption
...'s Saito 120cc UAV engine is based on the proven and reliable Saito four-stroke platform. Created...
DA35

Compact 35cc single-cylinder 2-stroke UAV engine

Compact 35cc single-cylinder 2-stroke UAV engine
... Inject's DA35 UAV engine is based on Desert Aircraft's proven and reliable two-stroke 35cc...
DA70

70cc EFI UAV engine for civilian & military applications

70cc EFI UAV engine for civilian & military applications
...ghtweight 70cc UAV engine built with precision CNC-machined 6061 and 7071 aluminum. Featuring INF...
DA150

150cc twin-cylinder 2-stroke EFI engine for commercial & DoD UAVs

150cc twin-cylinder 2-stroke EFI engine for commercial & DoD UAVs
...Inject's DA150 UAV engine is based on Desert Aircraft's proven and reliable two-stroke 150cc...
DA215

High-performance 215cc twin-cylinder 2-stroke UAV engine

High-performance 215cc twin-cylinder 2-stroke UAV engine
...Inject's DA215 UAV engine is based on Desert Aircraft's proven and reliable two-stroke 215cc...
X-P5 Fixed-Wing VTOL UAV

Multi-mission 7-metre wingspan folding-wing drone with hybrid electric/combustion engine powertrain

Multi-mission 7-metre wingspan folding-wing drone with hybrid electric/combustion engine powertrain
...TOL fixed-wing UAV that can be equipped for cargo delivery or other sensor-enabled missions such as...
EFI UAV Engine Control System

Lightweight System for Controlling UAV Engines with Inbuilt Data Logger

Lightweight System for Controlling UAV Engines with Inbuilt Data Logger
...-wing and VTOL UAV engines. It features an integrated fuel system, twin injector drivers with up to...
RCV DF70 Twin Cylinder UAV Engine

70 cc Multi-Fuel 4-Stroke Engine

70 cc Multi-Fuel 4-Stroke Engine
... twin-cylinder UAV engine designed to military specifications for the aerospace market. Suitable for...
RCV DF35 Single Cylinder UAV Engine

35 cc Multi-Fuel 4-Stroke Engine

35 cc Multi-Fuel 4-Stroke Engine
...sting 2-stroke engines, providing upgrades in reliability, quality and multi-fuel operation. The...
FD-2000W UAV Hybrid Generator

Gas-powered generator for multirotor drones

Gas-powered generator for multirotor drones
The FD-2000W is a lightweight and compact gasoline-powered generator for multirotor UAVs, with a low...
FD-6000W Hybrid Drone Generator

EFI hybrid generator with 6 kW output

EFI hybrid generator with 6 kW output
...two-stroke EFI engine and designed as an extender for 58V 14SLi batteries. The compact systems...
J-1 Wave Engine

High-speed pulsejet engine for UAVs with gross weights up to 200 lbs

High-speed pulsejet engine for UAVs with gross weights up to 200 lbs
...d digital ECU (engine control unit) with PWM inputs. Delivering thrust levels of up to 53 lbf...
50cc Heavy Fuel Engine

3.7 hp two-stroke single-cylinder engine for tactical UAVs

3.7 hp two-stroke single-cylinder engine for tactical UAVs
...0cc Heavy Fuel Engine utilizes an air-cooled two-stroke single-cylinder design with a low vibration...
75cc Heavy Fuel Engine

5.2 hp two-stroke single-cylinder engine for tactical UAVs

5.2 hp two-stroke single-cylinder engine for tactical UAVs
...5cc Heavy Fuel Engine utilizes an air-cooled two-stroke single-cylinder design with a low vibration...
150cc Heavy Fuel Engine

11.5 hp two-stroke twin-cylinder engine for tactical UAVs

11.5 hp two-stroke twin-cylinder engine for tactical UAVs
...0cc Heavy Fuel Engine utilizes a horizontally-opposed twin-cylinder two-stroke boxer design with a...
RW79 Wankel-based APU

Aircooled Wankel-based auxiliary power unit

Aircooled Wankel-based auxiliary power unit
The RW1-79 is a Wankel-based auxiliary power unit (APU) with an integrated 11kW generator, designed ...
GT1-124 Hybrid Engine

Ultra-lightweight hybrid engine for unmanned helicopters

Ultra-lightweight hybrid engine for unmanned helicopters
...nal combustion engine and an integrated 22 kW generator....
PT2-124 Hybrid Engine

Twin-engine hybrid propulsion unit for UAVs

Twin-engine hybrid propulsion unit for UAVs
...oke heavy fuel engines, each with its own cooling and ignition systems, as well as an 11 kW...
PT1-124 Hybrid Engine

Hybrid drone engine for VTOl UAVs

Hybrid drone engine for VTOl UAVs
...compact hybrid drone propulsion unit incorporating a 2-stroke single cylinder engine and an 11 kW...
RW1-300C Hybrid Engine

Hybrid Wankel rotary engine with variable pitch propeller hub

Hybrid Wankel rotary engine with variable pitch propeller hub
...0C is a hybrid drone propulsion unit featuring a Wankel rotary engine with integrated transmission...

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