JetCat P220 Alternative: Comparing 220 N Class Turbojets

The JetCat P220-PRO is a genuinely good engine, and anyone shopping in the 220 N class should look at it seriously. But there is one number in its datasheet that decides more projects than thrust or price: 474 mm. That is the overall length of the P220-PRO-S2. The Sheng-Fang SW220B delivers the same 220 N class of thrust at the same 2,160 g installed weight in 277.5 mm. If your airframe was drawn around a short engine bay, that 196 mm is the whole conversation. If it was not, JetCat still has a strong case on fuel burn and global support, and this page says so plainly.

1. What the P220-PRO actually is, and why it is 474 mm long

It is worth being fair to the design before comparing it. The P220-PRO-S2-R1 is a single-shaft turbojet with the starter-generator, fuel pump and valve block arranged along the shaft axis rather than hung off the airframe. That architecture is why the engine is long and why it is comparatively easy to install: you bolt one cylinder into the fuselage, connect one fuel line and one harness, and the whole fuel system is already inside the engine envelope. There is no external pump pack to mount, no separate valve block to plumb, and nothing to re-engineer when you swap an engine.

The trade is axial length. Published JetCat figures for the P220-PRO-S2-R1:

• Thrust: 220 N (22.4 kgf)
• Weight: 2,160 g
• Diameter × length: 117 mm × 474 mm
• Max rotor speed: 117,000 rpm
• Specific fuel consumption at full load: 0.158 kg/(N·h)
• Fuel: kerosene / Jet A-1 with 3–5% turbine oil

Our SW220B takes the opposite decision. The engine core is short, and the ECU is a separate 42 g box that you mount wherever the airframe wants it, connected by a harness. Same installed weight, same thrust class, 196.5 mm less length.

2. The 200–240 N field, side by side

This is the honest table. Where a manufacturer does not publish a figure, the cell says so rather than being filled with an estimate. JetCat figures are from JetCat's own datasheets; KingTech and AMT figures are from their published specification sheets; Sheng-Fang figures are from our product datasheets, which are generated from the same data as our full model comparison.

SFC is calculated as mass flow × 60 ÷ thrust for engines that publish flow in g/min, and taken directly from the datasheet for the JetCat P220-PRO. JetCat publishes fuel burn in ml/min for this engine; we use their stated SFC instead of converting volume, because kerosene density varies enough between batches to shift a volume-based number by several percent. "Installed weight" means engine plus ECU, pump, valves and harness as the manufacturer defines it — the definitions are not identical across brands, which is why bare weight is shown next to it.

3. Dimensional envelope: the number that decides most projects

An engine is a cylinder, so the useful comparison is swept volume inside the airframe, not length alone. Using the published diameters:

Envelope volume = π/4 × diameter² × length. It is an upper bound: it ignores intake fairing, nozzle projection and accessory clearance, all of which are airframe-specific.

Read that table carefully, because it contains the one place where we are not the leader. The KingTech K210G4+ is 2.79 L — slightly smaller than the SW220B at 2.90 L. KingTech builds a very compact 21 kgf engine. If absolute minimum envelope is the only criterion and 206 N is enough thrust, the K210 deserves the order.

What the table does show is that the JetCat P220-PRO pays a large envelope penalty for its integrated fuel system — 43% more volume than the SW220B for the same thrust class and the same installed weight. On a 200 kg airframe with a 3 m fuselage that is easy to absorb. On a compact 120–150 kg platform where the engine bay is already competing with avionics, fuel bladder and recovery hardware, it usually is not.

4. Weight, and what the word actually means

"2,160 g" appears in both the JetCat and the Sheng-Fang datasheet, which is a coincidence worth explaining rather than celebrating. JetCat quotes installed weight for the P220-PRO because the pump and valves are internal. We quote 1,740 g bare plus a 42 g ECU plus pump, valves, tubing and harness to reach 2,160 g all-up. The two numbers happen to land in the same place, which makes the comparison unusually clean: same thrust, same all-up mass, 196.5 mm difference in length.

The SW220Pro is the version to look at if you want the electronics integrated. It adds a 353 g ECU with dual-redundant sensor channels, fault logging and RS-232 telemetry at 9,600–57,600 bps, which brings all-up weight to 2,650 g. That is 490 g more than the B version, and it is a real cost — but it also removes an external telemetry module and its harness from your airframe, which typically weighs more than 490 g once you count connectors and mounting.

If thrust per gram is what you are optimising, the SW240B is the outlier in this table: 235.4 N at the same 1,740 g bare and 2,160 g installed, a thrust-to-weight of 11.1:1 all-up against 10.2:1 for the P220-PRO. The catch is fuel, and that is the next section.

5. Fuel burn: where JetCat is simply better

At full load the P220-PRO-S2 burns at 0.158 kg/(N·h). The SW220B burns 620 g/min at 215.6 N, which works out to 0.1725 kg/(N·h). JetCat is about 8% more efficient at the design point. There is no way to spin that: a longer engine with a lower-pressure-loss internal fuel system and a more conservative turbine temperature has an efficiency advantage, and JetCat has had decades to tune it.

What that 8% means in practice depends entirely on mission length. At 220 N and full load, 8% is roughly 2.7 kg of fuel per hour. On a 15-minute flight that is 0.7 kg — inside the noise of your fuel reserve. On a 90-minute endurance profile it is 4 kg, which is a real airframe decision. If you are flying long endurance at high subsonic speed, the JetCat efficiency advantage compounds and you should price it in.

The SW240B deserves a warning here. It reaches 235.4 N by spinning the same core 1,000 rpm higher, and fuel flow rises from 620 to 780 g/min. That takes SFC from 0.1725 to 0.199 kg/(N·h) — 15% worse than the SW220B, and 26% worse than the JetCat. You are buying 19.8 N of extra thrust with a disproportionate fuel penalty. If your mission is endurance-limited, take the SW220B and design around 215.6 N. Take the SW240B only when you need the thrust for take-off or climb and can afford the burn.

6. Throttle band, starting and control

Both engines run a single-shaft architecture with a 38,000 rpm idle, which means similar spool behaviour and similar throttle response. The P220-PRO tops out at 117,000 rpm; the SW220B at 115,000 rpm. The useful difference is not the top speed but the control interface:

• SW220B uses the V3 ECU, a 42 g board that takes PWM or serial throttle input and handles start sequencing, overspeed and over-temperature protection. It is small enough to bury in the airframe next to the flight controller.
• SW220Pro uses the V4 ECU, 353 g, with dual-redundant sensor channels, fault logging that survives power loss, and RS-232 telemetry at 9,600–57,600 bps. If your ground station already speaks MAVLink over a serial bridge, this is the version that drops in without an extra telemetry box.
• JetCat P220-PRO uses JetCat's own ECU with its own terminal and telemetry protocol. Mature, well documented in the hobby and research community, but proprietary — you use JetCat's tooling.

Temperature limits are worth checking against your duty cycle. The SW220Pro publishes a rated exhaust temperature of 750 °C and a maximum limit of 1,000 °C. Long climbs at maximum thrust sit closer to the rated figure than most teams expect, and the 250 °C margin between rated and limit is what protects turbine life when a flight goes wrong.

7. Maintenance and lifecycle

Our service interval is 25 flight hours, which is the same figure KingTech publishes for its G4+ range, and the interval covers bearing inspection and turbine clearance check. JetCat supports the P220-PRO with a 36-month warranty and a worldwide service network — a genuine advantage if your aircraft operates outside China and you do not want to ship an engine across a border for service.

Be realistic about what 25 hours means. At 10-minute sorties that is 150 flights between services. If your programme flies 200 sorties a year, you are shipping the engine back roughly once a year regardless of brand. The relevant question is not the interval, it is the turnaround time and the cost of the service kit — and that is exactly the kind of thing a dealer network solves and a factory-direct relationship does not, unless the factory commits to it in writing. We quote service turnaround per project for that reason.

8. Price and lead time

JetCat prices are published, which makes them easy to reference: the P220-PRO-S2-R1 is listed at €5,510.89 including VAT on JetCat's own site, and US dealers list the P220-RXi at around $4,099. We do not publish a price list, and that is a deliberate policy rather than an omission. Capital equipment in this class is quoted per order because the configuration varies — ECU version, telemetry option, harness length, spare kit, nozzle variant, and the export documentation set all change the number.

Send the model, quantity, destination country and intended use, and a written quotation with the full datasheet comes back within 24 hours. If you are comparing against a JetCat quote, send that too and we will tell you where the differences actually are rather than just undercutting it.

9. Export classification

None of the engines in this article cross the 400 N threshold, so all of them sit below the Chinese dual-use export control line that takes effect on 18 November 2026 under Ministry of Commerce Announcement No. 49. That matters practically: sub-400 N turbojets are exportable under normal commercial rules, above 400 N they are not, and the paperwork changes completely.

Two things to watch. First, JetCat's own P400-PRO-LN is rated 425 N and does cross the line — if you are scaling up from a P220, check the classification before you order, not after. Second, our SW400Pro is rated 392 N, deliberately 8 N below the threshold. We do not rate engines to sit just under a regulatory limit; that is the engine's actual measured performance. But it does mean the 400 N class of airframe can be built without entering the licensed category.

Buyers should also check their own import rules. Some destinations require an end-user certificate for any turbojet regardless of thrust, and we will ask for one before shipping.

10. Decision framework

11. Frequently Asked Questions

Is the SW220B a drop-in replacement for a JetCat P220?

Mechanically no, and anyone who tells you otherwise has not measured a mounting ring. The SW220B is 277.5 mm long against 474 mm, so the front mount, the fuel line run and the exhaust nozzle position all move. Electrically and in terms of control, it is a straightforward swap: the V3 ECU accepts standard PWM throttle input, so your flight controller does not change. Plan on new engine mounts and a new fuel line, and expect the shorter engine to shift your centre of gravity forward unless you move the fuel tank or avionics aft.

Which engine burns less fuel at the same thrust?

JetCat, by about 8%. The P220-PRO-S2 is rated 0.158 kg/(N·h) at full load; the SW220B works out to 0.1725 kg/(N·h) from 620 g/min at 215.6 N. Over a 15-minute sortie that difference is under a kilogram and rarely worth changing a design for. Over a 90-minute endurance profile it is roughly 4 kg, which is.

Why is the JetCat so much longer?

Because JetCat puts the starter-generator, fuel pump and valve block along the shaft axis inside the engine. That makes installation simpler — one cylinder, one fuel line, one harness — at the cost of axial length. Our layout keeps the core short and mounts the ECU as a separate 42 g box. Neither is wrong; they optimise different things.

Can I keep my existing JetCat pump and valves if I switch?

In most cases no. The SW220B is supplied as a matched engine-plus-ECU set, and the fuel system is calibrated to that engine's start sequence and acceleration schedule. Reusing a JetCat pump pack is possible if it delivers the required pressure and flow and you are willing to have the start parameters re-tuned, but it is not a supported configuration and we will not warrant it. Budget for the full set.

What telemetry does the Pro version offer?

The SW220Pro's V4 ECU streams RS-232 at 9,600–57,600 bps and logs faults to non-volatile memory so a post-flight read shows what happened even if the aircraft lost power. Dual-redundant sensor channels mean a single thermocouple or speed-sensor failure degrades the reading rather than shutting the engine down. If you already run a serial bridge to your ground station, this removes a separate telemetry module from the airframe.

How often does the engine need service?

25 flight hours for bearing inspection and turbine clearance, the same interval KingTech publishes for its G4+ range. At 10-minute sorties that is 150 flights. Service turnaround and kit cost are quoted per project because they depend on where you are shipping from and whether you want a spare engine on the shelf.

Do you publish prices?

No. Capital equipment in this class is quoted per order, because ECU version, telemetry option, harness length, spare kit, nozzle variant and the export documentation set all change the number. Send the model, quantity, destination and intended use, and a written quotation with the full datasheet comes back within 24 hours.

Does the 400 N export threshold apply to a 220 N engine?

No. The Chinese dual-use control line that takes effect on 18 November 2026 under Ministry of Commerce Announcement No. 49 sits at 400 N, so 220 N and 235 N engines are exportable under normal commercial rules. Note that JetCat's P400-PRO-LN at 425 N is above the line, and that some destination countries require an end-user certificate for any turbojet regardless of thrust.

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