Propeller vs Jet Driven Aircraft

Ask a pilot: what is the difference between propeller-driven performance to jet-driven performance in an aircraft? Why would you choose one powerplant type over the other?

A propeller-driven aircraft creates thrust which is perpendicular to its plane of rotation. The rotational energy can be produced by a piston, turbine engine, or even an electric motor. Propellers work by displacing the air and pulling it behind itself to generate lift. (Pictured below)

Jet-driven aircraft have one or more gas-turbine engines, which provide thrust to move the aircraft on the ground and through the air. (Pictured below)

The main differences between propeller-driven and jet-driven aircraft are speed, altitude, range, and efficiency.

Propeller-driven aircraft are more efficient at slower speeds whereas jet-driven aircraft become more efficient at higher speeds. The low cruising speed of propeller-driven aircraft may offset cost savings after especially long flight times.

As for altitude, it tends to be more bumpy at around 23,000–39,000 ft because of tropopause. Most propeller-driven aircraft are not designed to fly above 20,000 feet because of thin air higher up in the atmosphere, whereas jet-driven aircraft can cruise within that altitude range due to the way that the engines generate thrust.

Jet-driven aircraft have the most range when compared with propeller planes. Many propeller planes are only capable of flights up to 1,500 miles whereas jet-driven planes can fly 5,000+ miles without having to refuel.

A propeller engine is more lightweight than a jet engine and provides a higher power output per unit of weight. Propeller planes excel at fuel efficiency in low altitudes, being able to attain high speeds with the ability to be more cost-efficient than jet aircraft flight.

If I was designing an aircraft, I first ask myself what I was intending to use the aircraft for. If I was planning to fly shorter distances at lower altitudes, then I would choose a propeller because it is more fuel-efficient and economical. On the flip side, if I was planning to fly higher altitudes and longer distances, then I would opt for a jet because they have more endurance and fewer limitations when it comes to range. I would have to be okay with paying a little bit extra of a price for fuel though. However, I am not a celebrity or a business executive so I would lean toward a propeller-driven aircraft design.

References

Great Flight. (2023). Prop vs jet aircraft. Great Flight Charter Company. https://greatflight.com/blog/turboprop-vs-jet/