Originally Posted by
Kyle Boatright
There are three primary advantages of turboprops. First, they are more reliable than piston engines. Second, they are smaller and lighter than piston engines. Third, they can run on a number of more common fuels, including diesel and (for some engines) gasoline.
Their disadvantages are that they are expensive to purchase, feed (they *typically* use 50% more fuel per hp delivered than a reciprocating engine), and maintain, relative to piston engines. Also, they are loud and their exhaust smells like a BBQ grill gone wrong.