Menu

Uncategorized

5

Turboprop vs Piston Airplanes: How do they differ?

Two of the most common airplane engine types are turboprops and piston engines. But how exactly do these two engine types differ, and what unique advantages do each boast?

In this article, we’re going to examine turboprop and piston aircraft engines to understand their differences, and advantages.

Let’s get started.

Turboprops

A turboprop engine is a type of gas turbine engine that uses a propeller; hence the name ‘turboprop’. The best way to think of a turboprop engine is as a crossover between an ordinary jet engine and a piston engine.

White twin engined turboprop aircraft on runway

How do turboprop airplane engines work?

Turboprop engines streamline the internal combustion process. Air enters through the front of engine through the air intake, it then passes through a compressor, where air pressure (and subsequently, temperature) is increased.

Cross section of an turboprop aircraft engine

The pressurized air then moves along the combustion chamber where it is mixed with jet fuel. The mixture then combusts and forces the hot exhaust air towards the rear of the engine. Within a turboprop engine, the exhaust gas is used to spin a turbine, which essentially gets used as thrust.

Now that we know how a turboprop engine works, let’s take a look at what benefits turboprop aircrafts sport.

Benefits of a turboprop aircraft engine

Here are the top three advantages of turboprop engines.

Cost-effective

Due to the fact that turboprop engines feature fewer moving parts than their jet engine counterparts, they naturally require less maintenance.

Efficient

Turboprop engines provide a high-power output per unit of weight. This means that they excel at fuel efficiency in low altitudes by being able to attain high speeds with the ability to be cost-efficient.

Flexibility in takeoffs and landings

Thanks to the lightweight nature of the turboprop engine, these airplane types are able to perform very efficient takeoffs and landings. Turboprops are also able to land on much shorter runways and stop very quickly.

Piston Engines

Even though both turboprop and piston engine aircrafts are distinguishable by having a propeller, a piston engine doesn’t use any type of ‘jet’ engine. Both these engine types are internal combustion motors, and feature the same general thermodynamic process, but they mechanically operate in quite a different way.

Row of piston engine planes’ propellers at autumn sunset

A piston engine is not dissimilar to the engine in your car; the only real difference is that your car’s engine powers the drivetrain, whereas the airplane’s piston engine drives a propeller.

How do piston airplane engines work?

Piston engines require the same things as turboprop engine: air, fuel, and combustion. But, in a piston engine, the combustion chamber is the cylinders of the engine, where the piston operates.

cross section of a piston engined aircraft

The piston is attached to a connecting rod, which is attached to the crankshaft. As air enters the cylinders, fuel is also injected. When the crankshaft spins, the compression stroke of the engine causes the air and fuel to combust which forces the piston back up, in turn causing further rotation of the crankshaft.  

The crankshaft is directly connected to the propeller which causes it to turn at the same rotational speed. As the propeller turns, it initiates the thrust necessary to power the piston airplane.

Now that we have some more insight into the inner workings of a piston engine, let’s look at the benefits these engines boast.

Benefits of piston engines

Here are the top three advantages of piston engines.

Less expensive overhaul

Due to the simpler nature of piston aircraft engines, they are less expensive at overhaul, and generally cheaper to maintain/service.

Efficiency

Where turboprop engines seemingly get more efficient as their size increases, piston engines are usually more efficient the smaller they are. Piston engine airplanes are able to cruise at low fuel consumption while at high fuel efficiency at lower altitudes.

Cheaper

With a piston engine airplane, it is much cheaper to get airborne. Additionally, for long distances, the system weight (power plant plus fuel) will be lower than a turboprop.

: White private jet cruising through the sky over a city

How to Minimise the Cost of Airplane Ownership

Owning your own airplane comes with the freedom of being able to fly wherever you want to go, whenever you want. However, it is also your responsibility to maintain the aircraft and keep it in good nick. For many, airplane ownership can seem too costly, but there are ways to minimise costs.

In this article, we’re going to look at the best practices to help keep costs on the lower side when entering the world of private plane ownership.

Buy wisely

The first and probably most important tip for lowering airplane costs is to buy wisely. It’s well known that the engine is the most expensive part of an aircraft. If the engine is near or beyond TBO, an overhaul is going to be costly. When embarking on purchasing a plane, do a lot of research; this means understanding the costs involved with different kinds of aircraft – for example an airplane with basic avionics will cost a lot less to maintain and repair than one with more advanced avionics.

Reduce repair costs

Maintenance is a very costly part of airplane ownership. If you’re willing to take the time to learn more about your plane, you can find ways to cut costs that will end up saving you a lot of money. Additionally, choose your mechanic wisely; the right mechanic who has good references from pilots you know can help you cut down on your repair costs.

Learn preventative maintenance

Another tip that can help you minimise the cost of airplane maintenance is to learn preventative maintenance. Take some time to become a bit more knowledgeable on your aircraft and its internals so that at the minimum you can change the oil. As small as a task may seem, you can save a decent amount. If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, learn to change tires, replace batteries, and spark plugs.

Clean your own airplane

Not too dissimilar to preventative maintenance, cleaning your own plane will help you become more familiar with your aircraft and give you the opportunity to catch small problems before they turn into bigger problems.

At the end of the day, running and operating an airplane is expensive. But, if you buy wisely, learn as much as you can about your plane, use a reliable and knowledgeable mechanic and learn a bit of preventative maintenance, you can cut down the costs of airplane ownership by quite a significant amount.

5

How to Choose What Kind of Aircraft to Buy

Owning an aircraft is an exciting and liberating experience. It provides unrivaled flexibility and freedom like no other whilst acting as a valuable business tool to compete in the fast-paced business environment of today.

However, when choosing a set of wings, it’s important to follow a checklist, similar to how you would when you go flying.

In this article, we’re going to give you a bird’s eye view of how to correctly choose an aircraft that will adorn you with years of happiness, freedom, and practicality.

Let’s get started.

Step 1: Define your mission

When navigating through the airplane buying process, it can be tempting to focus solely on the airplane, which is natural. But, to glean some truly useful insights into what kind of plane might be right for you, you need to zoom in on your needs (and wants). By understanding your mission, you can more easily understand what type of aircraft will bode best to your needs.

Some questions to ask yourself:

  • How fast do you need to cruise?
  • How much cargo will you typically be carrying?
  • How many people will you typically be carrying?
  • Will you be using the aircraft mainly for short trips or long ones?

Choosing an aircraft can be more complicated than meets the eye. Take some time to narrow down on the questions above.

Step 2: Analyse the costs

Similar to many big-ticket items, the purchase price of an airplane represents only a fraction of the overall big picture costs. Ongoing costs include:

  • Fuel
  • Care
  • Hangar
  • Cleaning
  • Insurance
  • Engine oil
  • Ongoing and required maintenance

It’s important to analyse and understand these costs to give you a clear indication of what your budget allows.

Step 3: Research

Once you have defined your mission and analysed the costs involved in owning an aircraft, you need to do some research on what type of airplane best fits your needs and budget.

There are a wide variety of aircrafts available today and the goal you should have in mind is to match one to your needs and budget as accurately as possible. Spend some time getting to know the difference between jets, turboprops, and piston aircraft.

At the end of the day, owning an aircraft is a fantastic experience if you go about the process in a professional, thoughtful, and careful way – similar to how you would a pre-takeoff checklist. The good news is that you don’t have to brave the process alone; a custom aviation solutions provider can help ensure a successful acquisition.