Piston Performers

From singles to twins, there’s an airplane for everyone.

Julie Boatman

Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

A Diamond DA50 piston single flies alongside a twin-engine DA62. [Photo: Jim Payne]

Key Takeaways:

General aviation piston aircraft deliveries, including new electric models, saw an increase in 2022 for both single-engine (1,366 units) and twin-engine aircraft (158 units), indicating market growth.
Key manufacturers such as Cirrus, Textron Aviation, Diamond, Piper, and Tecnam are driving single-engine sales with new certifications (e.g., Diamond DA50 RG), strong performance in trainer fleets, and luxury aircraft.
The industry is actively addressing sustainability, with manufacturers like Cirrus pursuing 100LL fuel replacements and Diamond offering aircraft compatible with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) through diesel engines.
The twin-engine segment is largely supported by Diamond and Tecnam for training and regional operations, while some legacy models like the Piper Seneca V and Beechcraft G58 Baron saw no deliveries in 2022.

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Though the dawn of electric aircraft rises in the east, we still rely upon piston-powered aircraft to form the backbone of the general aviation fleet. They serve as our primary trainers, recreational weekend flyers, and personal cross-country transport machines as they have since the Continental-powered Piper J3 Cub gained certification in 1938.

But as a sign of evolving times, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) aircraft shipment reports now collect electric aircraft under the single-engine piston heading. And in 2022, GAMA recorded a total of 1,366 singles delivered—piston and electric, with 17 of those the Pipistrel Velis Electro, under European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval as it awaits FAA validation. That’s better than last year’s 1,261 and 2020’s 1,164. Just 158 twins left the hangar in 2022—but that’s up from 148 in 2021 and even with the 157 delivered in 2020.