Aviation power plant refers to the general name of aircraft engines and the systems and accessories necessary to ensure the normal operation of aircraft engines. Its composition depends on the type of aircraft engine used, mainly including the following systems or devices: aircraft engine and its starting and control system; aircraft fuel system; aircraft oil system (also known as "external oil system", only piston aircraft engines and turboprop engines); fire protection and fire extinguishing systems; aircraft engine cooling devices; aircraft engine fixing devices; air intake and exhaust devices, etc.

There are currently four main types of aerospace engines: piston engines, turbine engines, electric motors, rocket engines, etc.

Solid and liquid rocket motors are used only for short periods of time as take-off accelerators.   

Piston engines were widely used aeroengines on early aircraft and helicopters, and were later gradually replaced by gas turbine engines. The piston engine has a complex structure, heavy weight and low output power. In addition, the propeller propulsion efficiency is low during high-speed flight, so it is not suitable for large and high-speed aircraft. The advantage of piston engines is fuel economy. In addition, the propeller has high propulsion efficiency during low-speed flight and can produce larger pulling force at the same power, which is beneficial to improving the aircraft's take-off performance. At present, piston engines are also used in light aircraft, ultra-light aircraft, helicopters, and drones.

Turbine engines include turbojet engines, turbofan engines, turboprop engines, turboshaft engines and propeller-fan engines, as well as ramjet engines, pulse engines, etc. Turbine engines are currently the most widely used aviation engines and are widely used in various aircraft and helicopters. The most commonly used engines on modern aircraft are turbofan engines and turbojet engines. Turboprop engines are also widely used in small and medium-sized subsonic aircraft.

The ramjet engine has a simple structure and a large thrust-to-weight ratio, and is particularly suitable for high-speed flight. However, its low-speed performance is poor and it cannot be started in a stationary state. It is currently mainly used for air-launched target drones and missiles.