What Makes Turboprop Different From Turbojets?

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Turboprop, the word is derived from Turbo propeller. They are small aircrafts that runs on propeller, which utilize a gas turbine. Therefore, while jets move forward being powered on jet thrust, turboprops are driven by propellers. In these aircrafts, the ensemble consists of compressor, combustor, turbine and propelling engine. They are slower than jets and comparability less powerful. Still, certain engines like PT6A by Pratt & Whitney Canada and TPE331 by Honeywell are comparable even to even to that of military aircrafts. In fact, they are used in defense as well as commercial aircrafts.

The engine and the propeller are the basic parts of a turboprop. The gas turbine is used in the engine, which develop thrust by sucking in large mass of air. The only difference of its engine to that of turbojets is that it does not exhaust through a nozzle, instead, the exhaust energy is used to turn the turbine.

Generally, turboprops are developed for lower speed that jets. The difference in the engine makes them lighter, but highly reliable. Still, some variants of this light aircraft are almost closer to the best jet in the market. Such a variant is the Avanti Evo, developed by Piaggio. With cruising capacity of more than 400 knots, it is almost equal to Phenom, a popular jet. Turboprops require low operation cost. They are most appropriate for distance from 748 to 400 miles. They require less amount of fuel compared to jets. An Avanti can save you USD 195 per hour on fuel compared to Citation CJ3. Also, maintaining a turboprop is economical.

Comparing comfort and amenities, turboprops are similar to jets. They have different level of vibration and noise levels. They are less noisy because they are with only a single engine. However, there turboprops can also have double engines. These light aircrafts can takeoff from short airstrips, unlike jets, which need long and concrete runways. They are perfect for business travelers and for vacations as they can land and take off from unconventional and even difficult terrain.