If low-altitude airspace were fully opened tomorrow, could the low-altitude economy immediately take off?
Recently, flying skateboards and flying cars have frequently gone viral, making the low-altitude economy a hot topic again. We have championed this concept for years, yet it has not seen the large-scale adoption expected by the public. Many people focus on manned aerial commuting, assuming it represents the future of the low-altitude economy, and generally view airspace control as the biggest obstacle. However, the scaling of the low-altitude economy will likely start with unmanned scenarios such as inspection and cargo transport first. For these scenarios, clearing airspace and airworthiness restrictions is only a prerequisite; achieving high altitude, long range, and heavy loads still depends on overcoming a hidden but critical bottleneck: light aircraft engines.
The low-altitude economy can be broadly divided into two technical routes. For short-distance urban sightseeing and close-range commuting, electric drive solutions are well-suited due to their low noise, simple structure, and easy maintenance. But for scenarios requiring higher flight altitudes, longer endurance, and greater payload capacities—such as long-distance pipeline inspection, aerial cargo transport, and prolonged high-altitude operations—pure battery solutions quickly hit performance ceilings. Batteries are heavy themselves, offering limited room for endurance improvement. Although hybrid range extenders serve as an alternative route, the mainstream solution for long-endurance and heavy-load missions remains light aircraft engines.
Light aircraft engines are small turbine power units designed for small and medium-sized aircraft. They feature compact size and high thrust-to-weight ratios, serving as the heart of long-endurance, heavy-load aircraft. Despite their small volume, they impose extremely high demands on material processes and precision manufacturing, earning them the title of "the pearl in the crown of industry."
Many assume that light aircraft engines are simply scaled-down versions of large civil aviation engines, but this is not the case. When an engine is made smaller, airflow and component dimensions shrink accordingly, causing efficiency to drop easily. To maintain sufficient thrust, rotational speeds must increase, subjecting components like rotors and bearings to greater stress. Simultaneously, challenges such as combustion in thin high-altitude air must be addressed while keeping costs down and ensuring manufacturability at scale. This differs significantly from the overall design philosophy of large civil aviation engines, which prioritize long life and high reliability.
In terms of configuration, the selection logic for light aircraft engines also differs from that of large engines: large engines predominantly use turbofans, whereas light aircraft engines branch into four main turbine configurations based on mission requirements.
1. Turbojet engines (thrust 4.5–550 kgf) generate thrust via tail jet flow, offering high speed and compact structure, commonly used in high-speed drones and target drones;
2. Turboshaft engines (shaft power approx. 100–1200 kW) do not rely directly on jet propulsion but output rotational power to drive rotors, suitable for unmanned helicopters and some manned flying cars;
3. Turbofan engines (thrust 200–1200 kgf) offer better fuel efficiency and superior endurance, ideal for large fixed-wing drones capable of staying airborne for over ten hours, applicable in meteorological detection, long-distance inspection, and aerial cargo transport;
4. Turboprop engines (shaft power 200–1300 kW) use turbines to drive propellers, providing fuel efficiency at low speeds, commonly used in low-to-medium speed general aviation aircraft and patrol vehicles.
In addition, there are piston aircraft engines (shaft power 11–150 kW), mostly used in low-cost small drones with limited performance ceilings, which are not the focus of today's discussion.
For a long time, light aircraft engines have been a critical weakness in China's aviation power sector, previously a key area where foreign entities held us back through "stranglehold" tactics. Restrictions on exports of core materials, high-speed bearings, and hot-section components, along with non-sharing of design, process, and testing experience, meant that procuring complete machines was not only costly but also constrained by regulatory policies, facing constant risks of supply disruption.
However, in recent years, domestic progress in this field has been rapid.
Tianfu Light Power within the Aero Engine Corporation system focuses on small-to-medium thrust turbofans targeting long-endurance drones. Private company Zhongfa Tianxin entered the turbojet and turbofan fields early, with multiple models entering test flight verification stages. Teams like Aerospace Sanfa are also continuously advancing research and development in small power units.
Another notable enterprise worth watching is CAS Aviation Star. Established in Qingdao in 2016, it was incubated from the technology transfer of the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. It is now a specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative "Little Giant" enterprise controlled by North Industries Group. Its product line covers the full spectrum of turbojets, turbofans, turboshafts, and turboprops, with a wide thrust coverage range capable of matching various types of low-altitude aircraft. Instead of following a pure imitation path, it started from basic thermal physics research, building a complete industrial chain from design and testing to final assembly and delivery. Several products have already achieved mass production delivery, making it one of the leading enterprises in the industrialization of domestic light aircraft engines.
On September 30, the 6th Azerbaijan International Defense Exhibition ADEX-2026 opened in Baku. CAS Aviation Star exhibited multiple flagship products, symbolizing the transition of domestic light aircraft engines from a vulnerable sector once dependent on others to entering overseas markets and undergoing scrutiny from global customers.
Objectively speaking, domestic light aircraft engines still lag behind international top-tier levels in terms of fuel consumption, lifespan, and certain high-end supporting systems. While we have moved away from long-term reliance on imports toward independent technical routes and local supply chains, addressing the past bottlenecks in low-altitude power, this is just the beginning. Continued refinement in performance, reliability, and mass production capability is required, as initiative in this new airspace ultimately relies on independent core power. Only with independent power can the low-altitude economy truly take off.