TU RBO PRO P

John PaulG . Ligutan

H ISTO RY
The world's first turboprop was designed by
theHungarianmechanical engineerGyrgy Jendrassik. Jendrassik
published a turboprop idea in 1928, and on 12 March 1929 he
patented his invention. In 1938, he built a small-scale (100 Hp;
74.6kW) experimental gas turbine

Jendrassik Cs-1 displayed in the Museum of

Technology in Budapest

 The first British turboprop engine was theRolls-RoyceRB.50 Trent

Rolls-Royce Trent turboprop engine at the Science

Museum, London.

Two Trents were fitted toGloster MeteorEE227 the sole "TrentMeteor" which thus became the world's first turboprop-powered
aircraft ---first flew on 20 September 1945

 From their experience with the Trent, Rolls-Royce developed the

Rolls-Royce Clyde, the first turboprop engine to be fully
type certificatedfor military and civil use
TheDart, which became one of the most reliable turboprop engines
ever built. Dart production continued for more than fifty years. The
Dart-poweredVickers Viscountwas the first turboprop aircraft of any
kind to go into production and sold in large numbers.It was also the
first four-engined turboprop. Its first flight was on 16 July 1948.

The first American turboprop engine was theGeneral ElectricXT31,

first used in the experimentalConsolidated Vultee XP-81 first flew in
December 1945

TU RBO PRO P EN G IN ES

 A gas turbine engine that delivers power to a

propeller
Similar in design to turbojet engines
Turboprop engines are generally used on small
subsonic aircraft
Largemilitaryandcivilaircraft, such as the
Lockheed L-188 Electraand the Tupolev Tu-95, have
also used turboprop power
Turboprop engines are most efficient at speeds
between 220 and 350 knots and altitudes between
18000 and 30000 feet.
The power of a turboprop engine is measured in
shaft horsepower (shp). Shaft horsepower is
determined by the RPM (revolutions per minute)

Turboprop Engine Parts

H ow D oes A Tu rb op rop En g in e
W orks?
Step 1- The turbojet spins a shaft, which
is connected to a gearbox
Step 2- A gears box slows down the
spinning, and the slowest moving gear
connects to the propeller
Step 3- The propeller rotates through the
air, producing thrust

Advantages of Turboprop Engine

In dense air, i.e. lower levels, a propeller has a
higher efficiency than jet exhaust
Turboprop aircraft can operate into shorter runways
than jets
The propeller can be feathered to minimize drag in
the event of engine failure, which is not possible for
jet or turbofan engines
Mechanical reliability due to relatively few moving
parts
Light weight
Simplicity of operation

D isadvantages of Turboprop Engine

Inefficient at high altitudes
Vibration levels can cause slight passenger
discomfort
Icing/turbulence can cause problems and
additional passenger discomfort due to
operating altitudes
Older generation turboprops are slow
Limited forward speed