The Avia Rk.17 was a 9-cylinder radial aircraft engine, developed from the 7-cylinder Avia Rk.12, with a rated output of 270 kW (360 hp).

As well as producing aircraft and building Hispano-Suiza and Lorraine aero-engines under licence, Avia also designed and built their own radial engines.

[1] It was a conventional air-cooled radial: nitrided steel barrels with integral fins were screwed into heat treated Y alloy heads.

The crankcase was cast from heat treated silumin alloy, with some minor parts using magnesium alloy.

The single throw two piece crankshaft was linked to the pistons with an I-section Y alloy master rod, with a single piece big end, which carried the other eight piston rods.