Propeller planes, otherwise known as Turboprops, are still a widely used method of transport for traveling, whether it be a business flight or a quick getaway. I bet you thought those 1938 old planes would be long gone, after the invention and revolution of the jet plane – but they are still flying!
Why are propeller planes still used today? Propeller planes are used for short-haul flights. This can be a 1-hour flight for a weekend break or a military cargo aircraft flying to a service destination. Because of cost-savings and increased efficiency, they are used for short trips. They are also used to take off and land on shorter runways.
We aim to go into detail on why and how they’re still used in the roaring 20s (and by that we mean 2020).
Table of Contents
What is a Propeller Plane?
A propeller plane is a plane that uses either a turbojet or a piston engine to power the propeller on the outside. Today, nearly all commercial propeller planes are turboprops, while smaller general aviation planes, like the Cessna 172, use piston engines.
In commercial aviation, turboprops are more commonly used for short-haul flights, as they consume less fuel when flying shorter distances and are more efficient as traveling at slower speeds.
The propellers on a Turboprop lift the plane in a forward direction. The engine creates the spinning motion of the blades of the propeller, which creates the air pressure that we call ‘thrust.’ You can compare a plane’s propellers to a ship’s propellers. The ship’s propeller blades create thrust in water the same way a plane’s propeller blades generate thrust in the air.
Why Do We Still Use Propeller Planes?
Cost-Effectiveness
Propeller planes are much older than their updated, jet engine equivalents. However, because of how cost-effective they are, especially when taking short trips, they are still being used widely by many. Because they cost less to purchase, own and operate than most jets, a lot of companies prefer to invest in them rather than jet planes.
These are a few groups that use propeller planes:
- businesses looking for private jets to ferry their employees to corporate meetings
- airlines hosting trips locally to destinations under 2 hours away
- military to transport both their teams and cargo around
- companies taking passengers to more remote and hard to get to spots—such as getting passengers to those remote backcountry skiing areas, or hunting spots off the beaten track.
A turboprop engine is designed to allow fewer moving parts, which cuts down on maintenance costs. An additional saving is engine parts. Propeller planes use turbine engines, which are known to be more reliable than engines such as piston engines, as they have fewer failures and require less upkeep.
Due to a collection of factors such as the plane’s lighter weight, the type of engine used, and the size of the aircraft, turboprops burn less fuel than jet planes. All these factors come together to create a much more cost-effective method of travel, making their operation costs distinctly lower than other types of aircraft.
The hourly cost of a turboprop is around $400-$500 less than a light jet and requires only about half the runway length at the trade-off of only about 300 knots cruise speed.
The propellers of a turboprop also serve a great purpose in cost-effectiveness. Because the propellers have a higher disk area than a typical jet plane, they can provide a lot more thrust. Since the engine doesn’t have to work as hard or use as much fuel to make a journey, less fuel is used per mile.
Speed and Distance
Propeller planes are an excellent option for short-distance travel as well as low altitude flying. Short-haul flights can be anywhere up to 750 miles, which is around 2 hours of flying time. As a result of this, propeller planes are used worldwide for a multitude of journeys. If you’re going on a short weekend break to a destination not too far from your home, you may find yourself flying on a propeller plane.
The engines that are built into its design are more lightweight than those of a jet airline plane, giving it the advantage of efficiency when flying at lower altitudes. Ideally, when the turboprop is flying below 25,000 feet, it provides a higher power output than a jet plane.
Conquering Elusive Destinations
Turboprops are great for those shorter runways that larger jet planes struggle to land and take off from. They are better at take-off and landing than regular jets due to their slower landing speed, and a lot of them can gain access to more remote locations while still landing easily and efficiently. Jet planes are typically limited to concrete and tarmac runways.
On average, turboprops can land and take off on a runway or piece of land as short as 3,000 feet, whereas a jet plane requires around 5,000 feet of runway or more. This is a significant advantage when it comes to landing in airports or land that are hard to reach.
If you’re looking to take a trip to Mount Everest, for example, you will most likely land at Lukla Airport, Nepal, in a turboprop aircraft. This runway is sandwiched between two mountains and is scarily short. Only a smaller, lighter aircraft can safely land there.
Are Propeller Planes Safe?
Some travelers wonder if propeller planes are as safe as modern jet planes. Many people believe that an aircraft that uses propellers is less sturdy and is more likely to suffer some sort of failure during flight. However, this is a myth, as turboprops and jet planes both use the same engine technology. Both types of planes are equipped with turbine engines, meaning they both operate in almost the same way.
Some much smaller aircraft with propellers use piston engines instead of turbine engines. Piston engines are known to be slightly less reliable than their turbine counterparts; therefore, many people may be mixing up the two types of propeller planes and labeling them all as “unsafe.”
The Myths Behind Propeller Planes
Many people see a plane with propellers and instantly see their lives flashing before their eyes. Whether it’s the uncertainty of the blades of the propellers, and the fear that they may fail, or the fact that these types of planes tend to be a lot smaller than your regular commercial jet planes such as the Boeing 737, us humans seem to be in fear of them. Maybe we have all seen a few too many tense aircraft movies!
Turboprops do tend to be louder than the regular plane. However, this doesn’t make them any less safe. On the contrary, they are more reliable in certain situations. If you’re flying on a propeller plane to somewhere remote, or to a smaller airport, be assured that you are in good hands! Turboprops can stop a lot more quickly than jet planes because the propellers give them that extra bit of drag, giving them the ability to land quickly when needed – which is just what you need in a sticky situation!
Turboprops can also be just as luxury and high tech as your standard jet plane. There is an assumption from most passengers that a smaller aircraft means a rickety, old piece of machinery – but this is quite the opposite! More often than not, propeller planes are used as Private Jets, and wouldn’t we all love to have a go on one of those!
Because turboprops are smaller, they are also able to get you to your destination a lot faster, which for all you nervous fliers, means less time spent on a plane.
Final Thoughts
So there we have it, propeller planes may be a thing of the past, but they are also a thing of the future! They have so many extra benefits to them compared to your regular commercial jet planes. If you’ve been scared to give them a go – we challenge you to add it to your bucket list!
They’re quicker, safer in most situations, cheaper, and allow you to get to those hard to reach, exotic, off the map destinations that you’ve always dreamed of visiting. What more could you possibly ask for! Just don’t be watching ‘Castaway’ before you fly…
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