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:

The general aviation piston aircraft market grew in 2022, with single-engine deliveries rising to 1,366 units (including 17 electric aircraft) and twin-engine deliveries also increasing.
Major single-engine manufacturers like Cirrus, Textron, Diamond, and Piper experienced strong sales, introducing innovations such as FAA-approved, SAF-capable diesel engines and actively testing 100LL fuel replacements.
The twin-engine segment saw increased deliveries driven by Diamond's DA42/DA62 and trainer models from Tecnam and Piper, though some traditional models like the Piper Seneca V and Beechcraft G58 Baron recorded 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.