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A review of internal combustion engines applied to unmanned aerial vehicles
Antoni Dąbkiewicz 1
,
 
Marcel Kraśniewski 1
,
 
Michał Okulski 1
 
 
 
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Aviation Department, Poznań University of Technology, Poland
 
 
Submission date: 2026-02-12
 
 
Final revision date: 2026-05-27
 
 
Acceptance date: 2026-06-16
 
 
Online publication date: 2026-08-13
 
 
Corresponding author
Marcel Kraśniewski   

Aviation Department, Poznań University of Technology, Poland
 
 
DOI: https://doi.org/10.19206/CE-224671
 
 
Article (PDF)
References (85)
 
KEYWORDS
Internal combustion engines
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
Aircraft propulsion systems
Piston and turbine engines
Endurance-oriented propulsion
 
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Internal combustion engines constitute one of the two fundamental propulsion categories used in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This article analyzes the occurrence and application of individual types of internal combustion engines across unmanned platforms, with particular emphasis on their influence on aircraft performance and mission profiles. The advantages and limitations of specific propulsion system configurations are identified in the context of unmanned aviation, including factors such as energy efficiency, mass, structural complexity, endurance, and acoustic and thermal signatures. In addition, representative UAVs employing different types of internal combustion engines are presented, illustrating the practical implications of propulsion system selection in real-world operational applications.
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