Manufacturers have been experimenting since the Wright brothers made a single-engine aircraft in 1903. And over the years, modern airplane manufacturers have realized that single-engine aircraft are easier to operate than double-engine aircraft. Having one engine means the plane has a simpler fuel and electricity system and is easy to maintain.
Of course, fueling a single-engine aircraft costs less. Cessna, Piper, Beechcraft, Cirrus, Diamond, and Mooney are outstanding single-engine aircraft manufacturers. These aircraft companies have perfected their craftsmanship and made single-engine planes used in transport and flight schools.
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Cessna aircraft
Cessna aircraft company created single-engine planes that have stood the test of time. The Cessna 172 Skyhawk was the most popular single-engine aircraft and also the most preferred for flight training. What pilot student wouldn’t enjoy learning from a glass cockpit and first-class avionics? Cruising at 120 knots, the Cessna 172 model economically carried up to four passengers.
Photo: Textron Aviation
In 2024, a pilot named Tom Lopes went viral and made for flying a Cessna 172 across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii. The 17-hour flight proved that the Cessna 172 was capable. The second most popular single-engine aircraft is the four-seater 182 Skylane. It came in 1956 with more power and range. Its 235-horsepower engine allowed 150-knot speeds over 1,000 miles with space for four.
Like its elder sibling, the 172 Skyhawk, the 182 Skylane is also a preferred model for flight schools. It became popular for recreational and business flying and personal and commercial use.
Beechcraft
You can’t talk of the pioneers of single-engine aircraft without mentioning Beechcraft, which has a celebrated history of producing them.
- Beechcraft Bonanza: Introduced in 1947, the Bonanza is one of the most successful piston aircraft ever made.
- Beechcraft Musketeer: Developed in the 1950s, this affordable 4-seat trainer aircraft shared a lineage with the Bonanza but with less power and performance. Over 2,000 were flown primarily by private pilots and flight schools.
- Beechcraft Baron: Introduced in 1955, the Baron was fast, had room for up to 6 passengers, and weighed over 3,600 lbs. It was among the largest single-engine aircraft.
- Beechcraft Sundowner: A compact 2-seat cabin plane from the 1960s with simple controls idealizing hobby flying. Only around 500 were produced, but it retains a loyal following.
- Beechcraft Denali: Beechcraft recently introduced Denali, their first new piston aircraft design in decades. It has Garmin avionics and offers over 1500 pounds of useful load at speeds up to 230 knots. It gives pilots premium performance and utility from its economical and efficient jet-like cruiser, making it a coveted aircraft. When Jeff Jackson, CEO of Jackson Jet, encountered a challenge finding a reliable aircraft for business, he found Beechcraft Denali.
“They’re going to be more comfortable in the Denali, I think, for the reason of the avionics, and the additional access to maintenance.” Jackson said.
Piper aircraft
Piper makes durable single-engine aircraft. The 1958 Piper PA-24 Comanche was a unique design. Its construction was all metal, with a tricycle landing gear and an enclosed cabin. They later unveiled the PA-28 Cherokee line in 1960, an aircraft with models like the PA-28-140 and -180.
The Cherokee 140 and 180 had 135 horsepower variants, and in the 1970s, the improved 200HP PA-28 Six series achieved higher speeds and payloads. Equipped with Lycoming engines, these planes cruised at 135+ knots.
The Piper PA-46 Malibu and Mirage were introduced in 1978. The M-Class elevated Piper’s image with speed, range, and climbing ability powered by a pressurized cabin. Pilots not only admired its efficiency but also loved the interior design.
Over 1,000 were produced before problems with early engine types led to lawsuits and Piper’s decline, though the design remains an icon mimicked by many. Piper Aircraft sold thousands of single-engine planes, providing generations of pilots with a flying platform to learn. Piper models are still reliable and continue to deliver safe transportation to pilots worldwide.
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Cirrus aircraft
Cirrus’s most popular single-engine model is the Cirrus SR22, which has dominated sales since production began in 2000. The 1996 Cirrus SR20 was the company’s first four-seat single-engine model. Powered by a Lycoming IO-320 piston engine, the SR20 achieved a load of nearly 1000 pounds and range over 1000 NM at 152 knots.
Photo: Cirrus
Setting sales records, the SR20 demonstrated combining contemporary comfort with protection elevated the personal aircraft market.
Diamond aircraft
Diamond provides affordable and fuel-efficient aircraft equipped with technology. Their newest entry, DA50 RG, was unveiled in 2017. This four-seat single has a Rotax 912iS 300 HP engine offering high speeds.
Diamond’s DA40 made flight training accessible worldwide from 2001 to 2007. Four could fly its laminar wing design at 145 knots on gasoline or diesel engines in fully equipped, pressurized comfort. Mass production and economical operation through European factories integrated tradition with modern efficiency for thousands of students and owners.
A DA40NG owner based in the UK was excited to add the single-engine plane to her rental business. “This plane soars rather than just takes off. In her short time in the UK, she has been all over Europe, including down as far as Portugal, and has won many fans,” the proud owner said.
Mooney airplane company
Mooney airplane company also manufactured single-engine planes focused on speed within a four-seat layout beginning in 1929. Their most popular single-engine aircraft is the Mooney M20. Introduced in 1953, this was the company’s first model that helped establish the company. Over 5,000 were built through 1967, making it one of the most popular post-war general aviation aircraft.
Photo: Mooney
It managed 145 knots from its Pratt & Whitney engine while emphasizing visibility through low wings. After the M20 came the Mooney M22 in 1959, it was larger and more powerful than the M20. About 1,500 were produced through 1969.
Mooney’s latest single-engine aircraft is the M20TN Acclaim Ultra. Introduced in 2015 as the pinnacle Mooney, this has a 300hp engine and Garmin G1000 NXi avionics.
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Single-engine piston aircraft: powering tomorrow
Single-engine aircraft have been developing aviation since its earliest days. Innovative manufacturers created affordable aircraft for personal and business transportation tasks as the technology to build reliable, lightweight piston engines emerged in the late 1920s and 1930s.
Over subsequent decades, these single-engine planes have opened the skies to pilot education, recreation, rural medicinal access, agricultural services, aerial photography, law enforcement, and more. As long as manufacturing companies continue embracing the latest technology, the popularity of single engines will continue soaring.