A Harbin Dongan Auto Engine, a division of the Chinese Changan Automobile, successfully conducted the first ignition tests on the R05E rotary engine prototype, with 72 hp, and mass production is expected to start in 2027. The project was created and developed in collaboration with AVL, a specialist in mobility technologies.
The R05E features a rotor, a block made of cast aluminum, an independent dual ignition system, and an eccentric rotor made of very light material, with a balance system and integrated cooling jacket. The Chinese manufacturer highlights qualities such as compact dimensions, high power, and excellent performance in terms of NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness).
Dongan is targeting it for “low altitude” applications, an emerging sector of products and services for uses below 1000 meters, which the Chinese state identifies as a priority. The most important protagonists of a technology that is increasingly less science fiction are eVTOL (an acronym for “electric vertical take-off and landing”), electric flying vehicles that take off and land vertically.
The Chinese company is developing other rotary engines, in atmospheric and supercharged configurations, for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). And it is doing so in partnership with Aridge (XPENG), DJI, and Huawei. A harbinger of revolution…
