Second- turbine engines produce their work differently and tend to need more fuel per horsepower because of how the engines work. And it always ignored a couple of realities of turbine operations:įirst- kerosene- Jet-A and the like boast heat contents far lower than gasoline - so all other things being equal- an airplane powered by Jet A needs more fuel to produce the same amount of work. But that price differential no longer remains consistent or reliable.
While rare in piston aircraft- however- engine failures are statistically even lower in turbine aircraft- providing yet another element that helps compel the buying decision for some.įinally- the time to overhaul for piston aircraft generally comes far earlier than in turbine engines- adding a significant attraction to the appeal of turbine engines.įor many a year- Jet-A sold for less than aviation gasoline- adding to the appeal of going to a jetprop engine. Both engine types propel their airframes with greater fuel efficiency up high than down low.
Turbine engines suffer from the same power-loss phenomenon- but because of how they work they continue to provide strong power to altitudes that let them eke out the maximum in speed while driving the airplane.Īn issue piston and turbines also share involves fuel efficiency. A problem for them is the maintenance involved and the excess temperatures produced by the act of compressing the air. Both types of pressure-aspiration enhancements show up in piston aircraft across the years. Superchargers- driven by the engine itself- and exhaust-driven turbochargers both have the benefits and their devotees. Higher altitude equals lower power.Įarly successes in countering the enginepower problem mated some form of compressing mechanism to feed the engine induction system air at pressures closer to sea level – or at least to pressures equal to cruisepower output. Lower air pressure reduces the efficiency of engine-inlet pressures- which cuts power output. The problem that accompanies this idea stems from the fall-off in engine output as altitude increases. While not something widely embraced- the customer-base has proven large enough over the years to support some long-term programs.įor decades back- aircraft engineers and designers recognized that putting aircraft in higher- thinner air offered the potential to fly faster. In some instances- converting to a different brand engine or to a different type provides the same benefits.Īnd that’s what we examine this month: converting to turboprop power from a piston airplane - or from one propjet brand to another. In aviation- the quest never ends to make airplanes better- more efficient- more capable- and always faster.įor business turboprops- upgrading offers a path to such outcomes and better value than sticking with the old engines- as we have been outlining recently. The approach is almost as old as powered flight: improve a proven airframe by grafting on a better powerplant. Updating to propjet from piston benefits many popular light business aircraft.