What Is the Difference Between Turboprops and Private Jets?

While they may look very different from the outside, both turboprops and private jets rely on modern turbine engines which use combustion to rotate a propeller at extremely high speeds. However, a traditional jet engine has fans whirling inside a casing hidden from view, whereas a turboprop has prominent propellers which can be seen in front of the engine. Though turboprops may look dated in comparison with modern private jets002C they have remained a powerful contender in aviation which rivals the power and efficiency of traditional jets. In this article, we will discuss the major differences between turboprops and private jets along with exploring some notable advantages that have elevated turbojets for private aviation in recent years.

With the combination of a turbine jet engine and a constant speed propeller, turboprops were a significant development in the 1940s that provided an efficient, reliable option for modern aircraft. However, the addition of a propeller ultimately limits how fast the vessel can fly. As a result, large commercial airliners have mostly depended on a more traditional jet engine setup for their operations. Nevertheless, turboprops are often used for small planes and shorter flights where their benefits can outweigh the decrease in speed.

In general, private jets have a flying time that can last from 2 hours for light jets to over 5 hours for larger vessels. Additionally, the distance a private jet can fly without refueling can reach up to 7,000 km depending on the size of the jet. Turboprops are less capable in these areas, flying 2 hours on average with the ability to fly only about 25,000 km of distance without refueling. Private jets can also fly slightly faster and cruise at altitudes between 25,000 and 40,000 feet, whereas turboprops cruise between 15,000 and 25,000 feet. For this reason, private jets tend to be a better choice for longer distance flights, as well as for carrying more than the turboprops’ passenger limit of 8.

With greater speed and capabilities over distances exceeding two hours, private jets may seem to be the better choice in most cases. However, the key factor to note is that the majority of flights on private jets are actually less than two hours. With this in mind, there are several crucial advantages to turboprops. The first of these benefits is that turboprops have the ability to achieve liftoff with more weight on board than a private jet, allowing them to carry more people and luggage than on an equally sized jet as a result. As such, for small airports that cannot support operations for a mid-size jet, turboprops have a clear advantage. Another key factor is that turboprops tend to be much cheaper than private jets for normally planned flights. For a flight under two hours, the cost of a flight on a turboprop could be 40% lower than a private jet. This equation changes when the flight is longer than two hours but even for slightly longer flights, the turboprop can be seen having double-digit savings (over 10%) over the private jet.

More than that, because the turboprop is affixed to the front of the plane, turboprop aircraft can take off and land on very short runways, and on grass, gravel, or uneven strips. By contrast, private jets usually require a long, flat runway to take off along with a much longer space to land. This feature allows turboprops to be used for shorter hops to unusual locations such as for disaster relief or even for a skiing trip high in the mountains. Lastly, the lower altitudes at which turboprops fly make for flights that are generally more comfortable with much less turbulence than at the high altitudes at which private jets must reach to cruise.

Despite their greater capability for longer flights, private jets hold some disadvantages when compared to the use of turboprops for the typically shorter, regular flights that dominate private flights. As such, many private aviators have been choosing turboprop engines in recent years. Nevertheless, private jets remain a dependable choice in certain heavy-duty operations. If you are in need of high-quality parts for your aircraft, Automatic Aerospace invites you to browse our inventory of components for turboprops and private jet engines alike and make use of our Instant RFQ service to request competitive quotes for your comparisons. Our team of experts are available 24/7x365 to answer customer inquiries and requests and will reply to RFQ forms in just 15 minutes or less!