Austro Engine

Austro Engine is an Austrian aircraft-engine manufacturer headquartered in Wiener Neustadt in Lower Austria. The company was established by Diamond Aircraft Industries and partners, with its production site and headquarters built in 2007 through an investment reported at approximately €13 million. Its development has been closely connected with Diamond Aircraft, whose aircraft have provided important applications for Austro Engine powerplants. The company’s portfolio covers two principal technical families: liquid-cooled, compression-ignition reciprocating engines and compact rotary Wankel engines. Its best-known reciprocating product is the four-cylinder E4, marketed as the AE 300. The diesel engine produces 170 horsepower and received European Union Aviation Safety Agency certification on January 28, 2009, followed by United States Federal Aviation Administration certification on July 29, 2009. The AE 300 has been installed in several Diamond aircraft, supporting the manufacturer’s strategy of pairing efficient diesel propulsion with modern light-aircraft designs. A more powerful derivative, the AE 330, raises output to 180 horsepower. Two AE 330 engines are used on Diamond’s DA62 twin-engine aircraft. Austro Engine also developed the AE 500, a six-cylinder 280-horsepower engine derived from Steyr Motors’ M1 3.2-liter Monoblock through a cooperation between the companies. The AE 500 was intended for the Diamond DA50, but the aircraft’s planned engine installation was subsequently changed to the Continental CD-300. The company’s rotary-engine activity has roots in the MidWest AE series developed in the United Kingdom by MidWest Engines. Diamond acquired MidWest, and Austro Engine subsequently developed related Wankel technology for lightweight aviation and unmanned applications. The AE50R is a single-rotor engine with a 294-cubic-centimeter displacement, 55 horsepower, and a listed weight of 28 kilograms. It has been installed on Schleicher ASH 30 and ASH 31 sailplanes and on the Schiebel Camcopter S-100 unmanned aerial system. Related concepts include the twin-rotor AE75R, the 80-horsepower AE80R announced in 2013, and the 105-horsepower GIAE110R twin-rotor engine. The AE75R was described as uncertified, while the GIAE110R does not appear to have entered production in the available reference material. Austro Engine also presented the three-cylinder, 120-horsepower AE200 for a diesel-powered version of the Diamond DA20. These products show the company’s broader engineering approach: combining aircraft-specific diesel propulsion with compact rotary engines intended for applications where low weight and packaging flexibility are important. The available reference material does not provide reliable information on current ownership, executive leadership, revenue, employee numbers, or the full present-day production range. Accordingly, Austro Engine is best characterized as a specialist Austrian aircraft-engine brand with a strong technical and commercial relationship to Diamond Aircraft and a portfolio spanning certified general-aviation engines, developmental powerplants, and rotary engines for both manned and unmanned aircraft.

Austro Engine was founded in 2007 by Diamond Aircraft Industries and partners. Its headquarters and production facility were constructed in Wiener Neustadt, Lower Austria, in a project reported to involve an investment of €13 million. From its beginning, the company’s development was associated with Diamond Aircraft’s need for modern propulsion systems for its light-aircraft range. The company entered the market with reciprocating aircraft engines, particularly diesel powerplants. Its E4 engine was marketed as the AE 300, a four-cylinder, four-stroke engine producing 170 horsepower. The AE 300 achieved EASA certification on January 28, 2009, and FAA certification on July 29, 2009. Certification allowed the engine to be used in aircraft applications and it was installed in multiple Diamond Aircraft models. A higher-output derivative followed in the form of the AE 330. Producing 180 horsepower, the engine was used in twin-engine applications, including the Diamond DA62, which uses two AE 330 engines. Austro Engine also cooperated with Steyr Motors on the AE 500, a six-cylinder, 280-horsepower engine based on Steyr’s M1 3.2-liter Monoblock. The AE 500 was considered for the Diamond DA50, although the aircraft ultimately adopted the Continental CD-300 instead. A second major strand of Austro Engine’s history derives from rotary-engine technology. The company’s Wankel engines were developed from the MidWest AE series associated with MidWest Engines in Staverton, United Kingdom. Diamond acquired MidWest, creating a technical foundation for Austro Engine’s later rotary-engine work. The AE50R single-rotor engine produced 55 horsepower from a 294-cubic-centimeter displacement and was installed in selected Schleicher sailplanes and the Schiebel Camcopter S-100 unmanned aircraft. Further rotary developments included the twin-rotor AE75R, rated at up to 75 horsepower, and the AE80R, an 80-horsepower development announced in January 2013. The GIAE110R was a 105-horsepower twin-rotor design, but the available reference material does not indicate that it reached series production. Austro Engine also developed the AE200, a three-cylinder, 120-horsepower engine intended for a diesel version of the Diamond DA20. The company’s documented history therefore combines certified diesel propulsion for light aircraft with experimental and application-specific rotary engines. Its products have served general aviation, sailplane, and unmanned-aircraft programs. Publicly available material in the supplied references does not establish detailed information about later ownership, management, financial performance, production volumes, or the complete current product range.

1. 2013AE80R announced

   Austro Engine announced the 80-horsepower AE80R rotary-engine development in January 2013.

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2. 2009AE 300 receives EASA certification

   The E4 reciprocating engine, marketed as the AE 300, received certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency on January 28, 2009.

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3. 2009AE 300 receives FAA certification

   The AE 300 received United States Federal Aviation Administration certification on July 29, 2009.

   Source
4. 2007Company and production site established

   Diamond Aircraft Industries and partners founded Austro Engine, and the company’s headquarters and production facility were built in Wiener Neustadt with a reported investment of €13 million.

   Source

A specialist aircraft-propulsion manufacturer focused on efficient diesel engines for general aviation and lightweight rotary engines for aviation and unmanned systems.

• AE 300Diesel reciprocating aircraft engine2009

  The AE 300 is the commercial designation of Austro Engine’s E4 four-cylinder, four-stroke diesel aircraft engine. It produces 170 horsepower, or approximately 127 kW. The engine received EASA certification in January 2009 and FAA certification in July 2009, and has been installed on several Diamond Aircraft models.

• AE 330Diesel reciprocating aircraft engine

  The AE 330 is a higher-output derivative of the AE 300. It is rated at 180 horsepower, or approximately 132 kW, and is used in twin-engine aircraft applications. The Diamond DA62 uses two AE 330 engines, making the model one of the most visible applications of Austro Engine’s propulsion technology.

• AE50RRotary Wankel aircraft engine

  The AE50R is a single-rotor Wankel engine with a 294-cubic-centimeter displacement. It produces 55 horsepower and has a listed weight of 28 kilograms. The engine has been installed in Schleicher ASH 30 and ASH 31 sailplanes and in the Schiebel Camcopter S-100 unmanned aerial system.

• AE75RRotary Wankel aircraft engine

  The AE75R is described as a further development of the AE50R. It uses two rotors, has a 588-cubic-centimeter displacement, and is rated at up to 75 horsepower at 7,000 rpm. Its listed weight is 33 kilograms. The available reference material states that the engine was not certified.

• AE80RRotary Wankel aircraft engine2013

  The AE80R is an 80-horsepower rotary-engine development related to the AE50R family. Austro Engine announced it in January 2013. The supplied reference material does not establish certification, series production, or a confirmed aircraft installation.

• AE200Diesel reciprocating aircraft engine

  The AE200 is a three-cylinder inline engine rated at 120 horsepower, or approximately 89 kW. It was intended to power a diesel variant of the Diamond DA20. The available material does not confirm certification or production status.

• AE500Diesel reciprocating aircraft engine

  The AE500 is a six-cylinder, 280-horsepower engine developed in cooperation with Steyr Motors. It is based on Steyr Motors’ M1 3.2-liter Monoblock engine. Austro Engine intended it for the Diamond DA50, but that aircraft’s selected powerplant was later changed to the Continental CD-300.

• GIAE110RRotary Wankel aircraft engine

  The GIAE110R is described as a twin-rotor Wankel engine with a 588-cubic-centimeter displacement. It produces 105 horsepower and has a listed weight of 54 kilograms. The available reference material does not indicate that it entered production.

• Development of a dual propulsion portfolioStrategy

  Austro Engine developed both certified diesel reciprocating engines for light aircraft and compact rotary engines for sailplanes and unmanned systems.

  What changed. The company maintained parallel development tracks, including the AE 300 and AE 330 diesel family and the AE50R, AE75R, AE80R, and GIAE110R rotary designs.

  Aftermath. The approach gave Austro Engine applications across general aviation and unmanned aircraft, although the supplied references do not document the complete commercial outcome of each rotary program.

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• AE 330 introduced for higher-power applicationsProduct launch

  The AE 300 provided a 170-horsepower platform, while larger or twin-engine aircraft required greater installed power.

  What changed. Austro Engine developed the AE 330, a 180-horsepower derivative used in the Diamond DA62.

  Aftermath. The DA62 became a documented twin-engine application using two AE 330 engines.

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• AE500 replaced by another engine selection for the DA50Other

  Austro Engine and Steyr Motors developed the AE500 for potential use in the Diamond DA50.

  What changed. Diamond’s planned DA50 installation was changed from the AE500 to the Continental CD-300.

  Aftermath. The AE500 was not selected for the referenced DA50 application.

  Source

1. Austro Engine
2. Austro Engine official website