![[Credit: magniX]](https://avweb.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/04/Magnix.jpg)
Aviation technology developer magniX on Tuesday showcased its all-new electric engine produced specifically for the general aviation (GA) market.
As part of the launch magniX stated it is integrating the engine, as part of a full magniX powertrain, into a Van’s RV-10 kitbuild, which is scheduled for its first flight later this year. The RV-10 is currently on display at Sun ‘n Fun in Lakeland, Florida, this week, along with a range of other magniX products.
“We are very excited to bring the marvel of electric flight to a new segment of the market,” said Reed Macdonald, CEO of magniX, in a press release. “MagniAIR electric engines coupled with our industry-leading Samson batteries can be used for any application currently powered by a 120-175 kW piston engine. Thanks to magniX’s full powertrain, integration is simple and cost effective, bringing electric flight to kit plane builders and enthusiasts.”
According to the company, the engine, which is slated to be available for purchase in 2027, will initially be available to kit builders before ultimately becoming a more widespread option that looks to revolutionize the flight training market and reduce the costs of becoming a pilot. MagniX described the goal of electrifying flight trainers as one of the engine’s “prime applications.”
“Many training aircraft in use today were manufactured in the 1970s,” said Ben Loxton, vice president of new product development at magniX. “Fuel prices and maintenance costs are causing the cost of flight training to rise at the same time as the industry faces an acute shortage of pilots. MagniAIR offers to reduce the expense of flight training and other small aircraft applications with a lower cost of operation, reduced maintenance, and zero carbon emissions.”
The company claimed the magniAIR will boast an impressive power-to-weight ratio, producing 75 kilowatts of power while weighing 55 kilograms, or roughly 121 pounds, and will be able to be easily integrated into a full magniX powertrain system.
“MagniAIR electric engines…can be used for any application currently powered by a 120-175 kW piston engine.” Isn’t power in traditional piston engines normally expressed in horsepower (hp)? Which piston engines would qualify as 120-175 kW?
Well if you do the math at 746watts/HP, 120K watts -175K watts would be about 160-235HP.
What’s the battery life and time to charge? In training fleets by schools, aircraft are flying 8 hours a day or more. Second, how would a student do a cross country in an electric plane? This all sounds great and puts a smile on the tree huggers faces, but until battery technology makes HUGE advances, it’s still impractical.
They’re a long way from anything feasible. If you do the math, you’ll find that for a C-172R, a battery with 300 wh/kg big enough to power the plane for one hour in cruise (about 65% power) plus 30 minutes of Day VFR reserve would weigh about 800 lb – about equal to the airplane’s useful load, leaving nothing for payload (like pilot and passenger/instructor).