Chinese Company Unveils Affordable Alternative to High-Performance Piston Engines

Aero Engine of Corp. of China is developing a small turboprop engine called AEP20, which is aimed at both manned utility aircraft and medium to large unmanned cargo drones. The engine produces about 320 shaft horsepower and weighs one-third as much as a comparable gasoline piston engine. AEP20 is scheduled to fly for the first time at the end of 2026. The company has secured an intent order from Yitong UAV System for several hundred AEP20 engines, which could help drive adoption of the engine. The AEP20 is expected to sell for about $170,000, roughly twice the price of a typical high-performance piston engine but well below the cost of Western turboprops in the same power class. This is according to AeroTime.