With the price of oil skyrocketing I was wondering if anyone else thinks that pretty soon the Airline Industry may start reverting back from Jets to Props.
Yes I appreciate that the Q400 is now in widespread service, but it it big enough for the future?
Turboporops are more efficient than jet engines. Can anyone else invisage the day when we will see 120 maybe even 150 seat turboprop aircraft plying the skeis again on short to mediun haul journeys, such as the Electra, Vanguard and IL18 did 30 to 40 years ago?
Steve
By: cockerhoop - 9th March 2011 at 08:50
ooooooh bring back the days when noice didn’t matter lol
i can remember covering my ears as a child at the Ringway viewing areas (not the viewing park, but actually on the now terminal 1 arms) when a Dan Air comet or BEA trident would take off,
great times!!!!!
By: wawkrk - 8th March 2011 at 23:35
There was talk a while ago about using ducted turboprops.These would probably be much more efficient with prop blade tip sealing.
Not my subject but would this not increase the thrust.
Not sure about the noise though.
By: Firebex - 8th March 2011 at 22:58
bring back giant airships,big payloads minimal noise,comfortable,very fuel afficient .
By: Grey Area - 8th March 2011 at 22:44
They are coming.
Sounds like a trailer for a science fiction “B” movie, if you ask me. :diablo:
By: Amiga500 - 8th March 2011 at 18:43
If it’s that sensitive, should you really be dropping hints about it all over the Internet? 😎
Nah… I haven’t really said anything that no-one in the industry already knows.
They are coming.
By: Arabella-Cox - 8th March 2011 at 06:30
I read a few years ago that the Russians were buzzing northern UK airspace with very old TU-95 bombers to test RAF reactions (aren’t they the military version of the TU-114 or have I got my numbers wrong?).
If so, why can’t they come and buzz down here in the south-east? Those swept wings, Kuznetsov engines and contra-rotating props would be a sight to see.
By: Grey Area - 8th March 2011 at 06:07
I could… but it wouldn’t be altogether wise for my current and future employment prospects. 🙂
If it’s that sensitive, should you really be dropping hints about it all over the Internet? 😎
By: tenthije - 7th March 2011 at 20:18
I could… but it wouldn’t be altogether wise for my current and future employment prospects. 🙂
Fair enough.
By: Amiga500 - 7th March 2011 at 19:01
Can you also tell who will use them? Boeing on their 737 replacement, or Airbus. Perhaps Embraer or Bombardier?
I could… but it wouldn’t be altogether wise for my current and future employment prospects. 🙂
By: tenthije - 7th March 2011 at 18:34
Trust me, they are coming.
Can you also tell who will use them? Boeing on their 737 replacement, or Airbus. Perhaps Embraer or Bombardier?
By: Amiga500 - 7th March 2011 at 18:09
Probably never will.
Propfans are just too darn loud apparently. So loud, they’ll be unusable it todays noise restricted commercial aviation world.
Thats a solved problem.
It was the interaction of the blade tips was the issue – kinda like a helicopters two rotors.
The solution is pretty simple – make the second blade row have a decently smaller diameter than the leading row.
Compare a picture of a 1980s propfan to a modern test one.
Trust me, they are coming.
By: chornedsnorkack - 7th March 2011 at 14:24
The fastest civil turboprop now in production seems to be Piaggio Avanti. Maximum speed said to be 732 km/h, cruise speed 593 km/h.
A400 cruise speed is supposed to be 780 km/h (Mach 0,68…0,72)
Tu-114 has maximum speed of 870 km/h and cruise speed 770 km/h.
Tu-114 is loud. But how loud is A400?
By: Bmused55 - 7th March 2011 at 07:52
Got a good point there but then we haven’t heard much about them lately have we?
Probably never will.
Propfans are just too darn loud apparently. So loud, they’ll be unusable it todays noise restricted commercial aviation world.
It’s not surprising when you have 3 or so prop tips going the speed of sound and then some.
By: Arabella-Cox - 7th March 2011 at 06:06
Better yet, the Tu-114!
Hear, hear. What a wonderful aircraft.
By: Amiga500 - 6th March 2011 at 18:34
Got a good point there but then we haven’t heard much about them lately have we?
You will 😉
By: Newforest - 6th March 2011 at 15:09
Got a good point there but then we haven’t heard much about them lately have we?
Jet aircraft fuel economyJet aircraft are well known for permitting greater thrusts and higher speeds than could be achieved by conventional propeller-driven aircraft operating within the same aerodynamic envelope. However, jet aircraft are limited in fuel economy. In fact, for the same fuel consumption, a propeller-driven aircraft can produce greater thrust. As fuel costs become an increasingly important aspect of commercial aviation, aircraft engine designers continue to seek an optimal combination of jet engine thrust ratios and propeller fuel efficiency
By: Amiga500 - 6th March 2011 at 14:45
With the price of oil skyrocketing I was wondering if anyone else thinks that pretty soon the Airline Industry may start reverting back from Jets to Props.
Propfans is the future, not turboprops. 🙂
By: tenthije - 6th March 2011 at 13:14
Bring back the IL18!;)
Better yet, the Tu-114!
By: MSR777 - 6th March 2011 at 13:10
Bring back the IL18!;)
By: atr42 - 5th March 2011 at 20:02
I suppose it depends on whether you have any short hops where you need to move larger numbers of people. I’m not sure I can think of any particular routes.
Most turbo props work the slightly thinner routes but on a regular profitable basis. I can’t help but think that the Q400 is probably about the largest most profitable you can get in northern Europe. Other areas/routes might be different.
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March 5, 2011 at 11:27 am