Aircraft Engine Types
Being a successful aircraft charter broker in the industry means having general knowledge of the different types of aircraft, categories, ranges, and capacities. In this module, we will talk about aircraft engines and aircraft types. At the end of the module, you will get some insight into these important matters, and thus be able to make informed decisions as an aircraft charter broker.
Aircraft Engines
One of the most important parts of an aircraft and the aircraft charter is its engines, as they help generate thrust needed to aid the wings in generating the lift needed to take the aircraft off the ground and move from point A to point B. Just like you have different types of car engines, there are also different types of engines. There has been a lot of improvement with gas-powered aircraft engines since the early 1900s, and over time they have gotten better and bigger, thus increasing efficiency in aircraft operations.
Aircraft engine manufacturers take cognizance of different factors including aircraft type, size, performance, etc. before manufacturing the engines. Each of these engine types has different characteristics that differentiate one from the other. The major types of aircraft engines include:
- Piston Engines
- The piston engine is also referred to as a reciprocating engine, or in other cases as a four-cycle or four-stroke, and consists of a cylinder and piston. With the aid of a connecting rod, the piston gets activated by a crankshaft. In most cases, the crankshaft and propeller are linked together, and thus the propeller can be used to crank the engine to startup. The linear motion of the piston gets converted into rotational motion, and thus thrust is generated as the propeller turns through the air. The piston engine principle can be likened to that of vehicle engines. Some examples of piston-engine aircraft include Mooney, Beechcraft, Cessna, Cirrus, Diamond, etc. Most piston aircraft is configured to carry between 1 to 6 passengers and are limited to very short distances. The piston engine aircraft is structurally designed to not exceed 10,000 feet altitude and its price range go-between 30,000$ and goes up to 1,000,000$.
- Turboprop Engines
A turboprop engine is a combination of two words ‘turbine’ and ‘propeller’. In this type of engine, there is a system of gears and shafts that connect the turbojet to a propeller, and when activated, the propeller begins to rotate in order to generate enough thrust needed to move the aircraft.
An example of an aircraft with a turboprop engine is the King Air C90.
They come with a midrange speed of between 250 knots to 400 knots. They are fuel-efficient and flying at midrange altitudes gives optimal engine performance. However, there are limitations to its forward airspeed. Prices of turboprop engine aircraft can range from about $500,000 to $8 million, depending on whether it is single-engine or twin engines, and the number of hours on the engine and the airframe. - Jet Engines
The turbojet engine is a popular type of engine, considering that most airliners are turbojet engine powered, and their operations are quite simple to understand. Basically, the air is taken into the engine, compressed, sent to a combustion chamber, where hot air is produced and forced out the engine’s nozzle, and thus thrust gets generated. There are 4 major parts of a turbojet engine: Air intake, Combustion chamber, Compressor, and Exhaust.
Examples of aircraft with turbojet engines include commercial and private jetliners from aircraft manufacturers like Boeing, Airbus, etc. their speeds range from between 270 knots to 1,000 knots, and prices can range from anywhere around 11 million dollars to 300 million dollars. These engines generate more thrust and burn less fuel when cruising at really higher altitudes and that is one of the advantages they have over turboprop engines, as the aircraft is able to climb to its structurally allowable ceiling as specified by the aircraft manufacturer.
Over time, jet engines have gone through different developments, and have become more efficient with each developmental stage. - Turboshaft Engine
This is a turbine that runs on gas and has similar functions to the shaft system of the turboprop engine. However, in this case, a propeller is not driven, but the power is provided to drive a rotor, and this is responsible for the operations of the helicopter. In turbojet engines, most of the power generated is used for generating thrust, but in a turbojet engine, most of the power goes into the turbine’s movement rather than generating thrust. Interestingly, most parts of the turboshaft engine function like the turbojet engine, but there is a shaft that is connected to the rotor blade transmission that aids in the seamless transfer of rotational movement from the turboshaft to the rotor blades of the helicopter. There is a reduction gearbox that gets engaged when the helicopter wants to move forward or backward.
Examples of aircraft with the turboshaft engine include helicopters like the Bell 412, Sikorsky S72, AgustaWestland AW139, etc. generally, helicopters are able to fly with the aid of turboshaft engines, and since its inception, there have been lots of improvements, as modern helicopters have fewer vibrations compared to earlier models.
Now you can differentiate the different types of aircraft engines, and different factors are taken into cognizance to ascertain their costs, as they vary according to the type of aircraft.