15 April 2025
Kawasaki Motors, the Japanese company best known for high-performance motorcycles, is developing a new line of turbocharged piston engines for general aviation — and aiming for certification within the decade.
Kawasaki announced at AERO that it is working on two new turbocharged piston engines specifically designed for aircraft. Drawing directly from the brand’s motorcycle engines, the inline 4- and 6-cylinder engines are packed with features including liquid cooling, fuel injection, FADEC, and electric throttle control.
The engines are being developed to run initially on unleaded mogas but Kawasaki has ambitious plans to transition them to alternative fuels. Certification for the mogas versions is targeted for 2030, with hydrogen and e-fuel variants expected by 2035.
Specs
Both engines are described as offering “excellent power-to-weight ratio,” and draw on Kawasaki’s high-revving, compact designs from the motorcycle world. However, the inline layout doesn’t lend itself to an easy installation in existing airframes.
