Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 102

Thread: GA Turboprop

Hybrid View

Previous Post Previous Post   Next Post Next Post
  1. #1

    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Posts
    22

    GA Turboprop

    Hi all

    I'm doing some research on turboprop engines for general aviation, and I wonder what people here see as the advantages and disadvantages of a turboprop engine? Or just opinions in general..

    Advantages:
    • ..
    • ..
    Disadvantages:
    • ..
    • ..
    I will really appreciate your input!

    Thank you,
    Kristoffer Jensen

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Posts
    2,575
    It sounds bad and smells worse, and it costs a lot more than a piston engine, and may need to fly high always requiring an IFR flight plan in order to get good fuel economy.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Posts
    22
    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Greenwood View Post
    It sounds bad and smells worse, and it costs a lot more than a piston engine, and may need to fly high always requiring an IFR flight plan in order to get good fuel economy.
    Do you know how much higher fuel consumption a turboprop have compared to a piston engine?

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Clarklake, MI
    Posts
    2,461
    Quote Originally Posted by kjensen View Post
    Do you know how much higher fuel consumption a turboprop have compared to a piston engine?
    It's not enough difference to get excited about. Of course a turboprop has numerous advantages, fewer moving parts, more efficient propeller dia/speed, ability to use a wide range of fuels, reliability. The big disadvantage is cost. With current technology, GA is not quite ready to accept the additional expense.

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Posts
    73
    I'm shocked in this day and age we don't have a nice IO550 alternative turboprop. Something in the 300-400HP rating that get's comparable fuel burn (probably higher). I think it would be a great seller, but as stated, cost is the big thing. But think about how much you save in MX, reliability, not replacing cylinders all the time, just overall hassle. The TBO on a turboprop could be much higher too. Just do a 2k hr hot section inspection, then fly it to 4k hours easy.

    There's got to be enough smart people that can get together and build something that fits those parameters.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Posts
    22
    [QUOTE=uavmx;14355]I'm shocked in this day and age we don't have a nice IO550 alternative turboprop. Something in the 300-400HP rating that get's comparable fuel burn (probably higher). I think it would be a great seller, but as stated, cost is the big thing. But think about how much you save in MX, reliability, not replacing cylinders all the time, just overall hassle. The TBO on a turboprop could be much higher too. Just do a 2k hr hot section inspection, then fly it to 4k hours easy.

    So in terms of technology, is a turboprop considered better than a piston engine? Who makes the turboprops available today in the 300-400hp range?

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Clarklake, MI
    Posts
    2,461
    Quote Originally Posted by uavmx View Post
    There's got to be enough smart people that can get together and build something that fits those parameters.
    Well, Detroit has played with gas turbine engines in cars for a long time and they have yet to hit on the right combination of practical and affordable. The stumbling block seems to be finding a recipe for mass-producing the internals. Lot of engineering talent and $$$ has been expended looking for solutions.

  8. #8
    In the 1990's United Airlines was taking deliveries of B-757 's and I had a Pratt & Whitney tech rep riding jumpseat with us on a trip. UAVMX, when he finished taking engine parameter readings I asked him the EXACT question you have raised about a 300-400 hp turbo prop we could afford in GA. His answer was as long as we machine the blades we cannot get the cost down. I asked about making ceramic blades and he said they were working on that, but I have not heard anything about it since then. Adrian Bewley
    Quote Originally Posted by uavmx View Post
    I'm shocked in this day and age we don't have a nice IO550 alternative turboprop. Something in the 300-400HP rating that get's comparable fuel burn (probably higher). I think it would be a great seller, but as stated, cost is the big thing. But think about how much you save in MX, reliability, not replacing cylinders all the time, just overall hassle. The TBO on a turboprop could be much higher too. Just do a 2k hr hot section inspection, then fly it to 4k hours easy.

    There's got to be enough smart people that can get together and build something that fits those parameters.

  9. #9
    steveinindy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Indiana
    Posts
    1,449
    Quote Originally Posted by kjensen View Post
    Do you know how much higher fuel consumption a turboprop have compared to a piston engine?
    The difference between the fuel consumption of a high-end reciprocating engine and a turboprop aren't that different if you look at them on a pounds of fuel per horsepower per hour ratio. Of course, when you have an engine that produces 800-1000+ horsepower, it's going to consume more fuel than a 150-200 hp engine. The actual fuel consumption is going to vary based on the engine (for example, the Honeywell/Garrett TPE variants tend to get better economy than a PT-6) and the altitude you're flying at.

    Keep in mind that this forum has a distinct lean towards the "low and slow" side of aviation so you're going to get comments like Bill's. A more inclusive forum like http://www.homebuiltairplanes.com/forums might be a better place to ask that. That's normally where I go when I have technical questions about things like turboprops (which is what is the powerplant for my design BTW).


    may need to fly high always requiring an IFR flight
    Which isn't a bad thing in the mind of those of us who are looking for point A to point B travel. One of the major drawbacks to this forum is the general disdain towards talking to ATC so people tend to look at you like you have two heads or make comments like "You know if you want to go above FL180 you have to talk to ATC all the time right?" when you mention things like turboprops or other high altitude cruise.


    I'm shocked in this day and age we don't have a nice IO550 alternative turboprop. Something in the 300-400HP rating that get's comparable fuel burn (probably higher).
    Why do you think people switch out the IO-550 and other similar engines for a more powerful turboprop. The benefits of a turboprop become less clear when you're going slower which is what a 300-400 hp range would entail.
    Unfortunately in science what you believe is irrelevant.

    "I'm an old-fashioned Southern Gentleman. Which means I can be a cast-iron son-of-a-***** when I want to be."- Robert A. Heinlein.



  10. #10
    steveinindy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Indiana
    Posts
    1,449
    Who makes the turboprops available today in the 300-400hp range?
    Rolls-Royce has one but honestly it's not really worth it.

    So in terms of technology, is a turboprop considered better than a piston engine?
    It depends on what you're looking to do and who you ask.
    Unfortunately in science what you believe is irrelevant.

    "I'm an old-fashioned Southern Gentleman. Which means I can be a cast-iron son-of-a-***** when I want to be."- Robert A. Heinlein.



Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •