Why a piston engine?
Efficiency, cost, and performance for applications under 800 kW.
Spark-ignition piston engines (or gasoline engines) and gas turbines have different advantages and disadvantages depending on the application.
↓Here are some of the advantages of spark-ignition engines over gas turbines.
For well-established technical reasons, below 800 KW, a modern piston engine, designed specifically for aeronautics, will be more efficient than a turbine.
Key advantages
Better efficiency at part load due to their ability to change their airflow and air-fuel ratio depending on load, which is not the case for gas turbines. Which they are more efficient at maximum load.
Lower cost of acquisition, use and maintenance.
For well-established technical reasons, below 800 KW, a modern piston engine, designed specifically for aeronautics, will be more efficient than a turbine. The evolution of the compression rates of the smallest of them shows their lower limit.
Further points
A piston engine turns slower than a gas turbine, which has a consequence for the size of a reduction gear or an alternator.
The infrared signature and noise of a piston engine are advantageous compared to that of a turbine.
When powered, the piston engine is less sensitive to altitude.
The choice between a gasoline engine and a gas turbine depends on the specific application and performance requirements.
Technical comparison
- 14T Centurion 99 kW
- 24T Centurion 257 kW
- 34T Diesel 300 kW
- 42T Gemini 125
- 52T OPOC 220 kW
- 6Lycoming 223 kW
- 7Lycoming 107 kW
- 8Salmson 9Nm 150 kW
- 9Wright 1820 1135 kW
- 10RTM322 2000 kW
- 11Arriel 1D1 546 kW
- 12Artouste
- 13RR30
The weight of a Turbine, the sobriety of a Diesel, the performance of a Gasoline engine.