<p>A method is proposed and an assessment of the influence of the number of cylinders and the method of organizing the exhaust of a piston engine on the community noise levels is carried out. The main types of gasoline piston engines widely used in small and unmanned aviation are selected for assessment. The article discusses piston engines with an available power of 2.9–268&#xa0;kW and a displacement of 0.04021–10.16&#xa0;L. The A-weighted overall sound power levels of engines of the same type with a different number of cylinders and a different exhaust system are compared. The effects of the number of cylinders and the method the exhaust is organized in the engine on the community noise level are due to the influence of these factors on the frequency of the engine main tone. The lower the main tone frequency, the lower the A-weighted sound power level of the main tone of engine. The importance of choosing the number of engine cylinders and the method of exhaust organization to ensure low community noise levels of the aircraft is shown. The greatest effect in reducing the noise of piston engines due to the organization of exhaust (2.6–3.7 dBA) can be achieved for opposed 4-, 6- and 8-cylinder engines when the exhaust is organized for the cylinders in pairs.</p>