Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI) and domestic companies are actively developing the production of electric motors for heavy civilian copters and unmanned aerial vehicles. According to Nikolai Ivanov, head of the MAI laboratory, by the end of 2025, it is planned to launch mass production of motors with a capacity of up to 100 kW, capable of competing with Chinese counterparts.
MAI has already created a universal brushless electric motor with a capacity of 10 kW, which is part of a line of five modifications. In tests, it showed a power of up to 16 kW in short-term mode at 6800 rpm. The development is adapted for mass production using Russian components, which reduces the cost.
Motokhrom Company presented the "Vertikhvost" series of engines (2–8 kW) for UAVs weighing 40–100 kg. Their housings are optimized for casting and pressing, and the cooling system is patented. The experimental model "Sopilka" with two independent motors (up to 5 kW total) allows increasing the speed of drones by 20–30% due to the high rotation speed (12,000 rpm).
The "Radioelectronic Technologies" concern (part of "Rostec") produces "Sarma", "Barguzin" and other engines with efficiency exceeding foreign analogues. For example, "Sarma" lifts drones weighing up to 11 kg. In Kuzbass, the company "Nebo Kuzbassa" produces compact POTOM PY5210 engines for FPV drones and agricultural UAVs, using Russian components.
Despite the progress, dependence on Chinese components remains high. Experts believe that government support is needed for import substitution: subsidies, tax incentives, investments in R&D. The focus should be on high-tech solutions, competing not with "consumer goods", but with innovative products.
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