21:11, 17 February 2026

Dobrynya Engine to Power Drones in Russia

Samara researchers develop lightweight, compact internal combustion engine for UAVs

Scientists and engineers at the Institute of Engines and Power Systems at Korolev Samara University have developed and tested a prototype of a lightweight, compact piston engine for unmanned aerial vehicles. The engine has been named Dobrynya.

The “iron bogatyr” is assembled entirely from domestically produced components, and its design incorporates composite materials rarely used in engines of this class. As a result, Dobrynya is significantly lighter than comparable foreign models, the university’s press service told IT-Russia.

Five Horsepower Under the Hood

The project received grant support from the National Technology Initiative Fund. Development took place at Aerospace Technologies, an innovation enterprise established at Samara University.

“The engine’s key features are fully domestic components and a high degree of standardization of its core structural elements. This makes it possible to create an entire family of drone engines based on this platform. The prototype has successfully completed flight tests and confirmed its stated technical specifications,” said Institute Director Vitaly Smelov.

The design is a single-cylinder, two-stroke piston internal combustion engine. It produces five horsepower, has a displacement of 55 cubic centimeters, fuel consumption of up to 2.2 liters per hour, and weighs about 1.5 kilograms. Its dimensions are 20 centimeters in length, 9.5 in width and 18 in height. It runs on AI-92 or AI-95 gasoline.

Flight tests were conducted at the university’s training airfield. The prototype was installed on a glider with a total payload of about 10 kilograms. Test flights took place in snowstorms and freezing temperatures. Dobrynya operated without issues.

A Growing Engine Family

The university also developed a fully functional electronic engine control system. It includes distributed fuel injection, an electronic throttle actuator and microprocessor-controlled ignition. The system is designed for engines with displacements ranging from 50 to 300 cubic centimeters and one to four cylinders. It was installed and tested on the piston engine prototype. Dobrynya demonstrated stable operation across all modes and confirmed its performance potential.

“This confirms the high reliability and efficiency of the parameters built into the control system by our engineers,” said project lead Andrey Bulatov, associate professor at the Advanced Engineering School of Korolev Samara University.

Engineers are now developing an entire family of aviation piston engines based on Dobrynya, with different configurations and applications. All models in the lineup will carry the Dobrynya name, followed by a numerical designation depending on the version, such as Dobrynya-2 or Dobrynya-4.

“Technically, the engine family has already been designed, and we are beginning production of the first prototypes. The lineup includes single-, twin- and four-cylinder engines, as well as hybrid power units for multirotor drones, where the internal combustion engine generates electricity for the drone’s electric motors. Some models will use carburetors, others will feature fuel injection with electronic throttle control. These engines could be used not only in unmanned aviation but also in ground-based compact equipment, such as lawn mowers, gasoline trimmers and other tools,” Bulatov said.

Earlier, we reported that a Russian school student developed Ilya Muromets, a system designed to analyze soil composition and strength.

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