Would a 19-seat single-engine turboprop be viable today? Looking for real constraints (safety, certification, economics)
Posted by Ok_Bumblebee_8168@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 19 comments
If modern turboprops are both reliable and powerful enough, what prevents scaling from \~9–14 passengers to \~19 passengers on a single engine?🤖
Ok_Bumblebee_8168@reddit (OP)
Even if such an aircraft is designed, certified, and built, demand may still be weak. Piston aircraft suffer from poor operating economics due to fuel costs, while electric versions face MTOW, range, and unit-cost penalties. With no mature electric aircraft market, operators are more likely to choose proven, in-production larger aircraft with far better per-seat economics, support, and lower risk. The real constraint may be demand, not engineering. What I think and thx for sharing your opinions
ab0ngcd@reddit
I would think the size of the propeller would be an impediment.
YugeWaterBottle@reddit
Single engine operations are prohibited in part 121. So no, it's not viable.
FL060@reddit
That's under 121 though. Part 91 and 135 still exist.
YugeWaterBottle@reddit
So are you suggesting there's a market in 91/135 for a 19 seat single engine turboprop?
RyzOnReddit@reddit
There are folks operating 19 seat Gulfstreams under Part 91, maybe they want to go fishing or hunting sometime? So you could sell at least a few 😂
YugeWaterBottle@reddit
I'm not sure if you're kidding or not, but people who own $70mil Gulfstreams aren't interested in a 19 seat single engine turboprop commuter.
RyzOnReddit@reddit
Yes, I thought the joke was clear by saying “a few” and including the 😂. Need to remind myself that I’m a high functioning pilot when it comes to recognizing sarcasm and other social cues.
The folks with Gs who are into small turboprops want to go hunting/fishing, but then there are Caravans, Otters, Twotters and the like that already exist. There are also way more $5mm G-IVs out there than $70mm G700s, fwiw. It’s just the opex that kills you.
YugeWaterBottle@reddit
Sure, but there isn't a single "old" or "cheap" Gulfstream that has 19 passenger seats.
RyzOnReddit@reddit
There are quite a few, G-IVSPs are common charter aircraft, generally seat 16-19, and there are several on controller now in the 5’s. Having ridden on one once, even an “old” relatively “cheap” G is nicer than Polaris.
Flimsy-Ad-858@reddit
Sure but that's executive transit where speed and comfort are your priorities. A single turboprop will accomplish neither of those things.
The only use case I see for something like this is the daily employee shuttle type deal that some places use Beech 1900s and the like for, and I don't think there's a big enough mass market for that to justify manufacturing it.
RGN_Preacher@reddit
My reading would be that it’s possible under 135.169 but you’d need to make it transport category and have a type rating for it, although on demand charter filling up 15+ people seems… economically infeasible.
YugeWaterBottle@reddit
That's the only place where the idea could be entertained. But there is no market for that type of operation.
phxcobraz@reddit
Because at that size people expect to be able to fly farther, and in more comfort. Thus why you see regionals like Horizon still operating Dash8s but slowly moving that all to 175s.
A perfect use case would be something like Cape Air since they operate under part 135, but the cost to maintain is so much higher, I suspect they will be very happy keeping their beat up old Cessna 402s. The Tecnam seems like a huge miss for them.
TSwiftIcedTea@reddit
That market has been overtaken by 30 seat regional jets operating under the public charter loophole
TheMonkeyPickler@reddit
It could be done but its not economically viable in any way
Guysmiley777@reddit
Market demand. Ain't nobody gonna pay for that.
usmcmech@reddit
Could you build something like the Turbine Otter? Easily
Would that airplane be a commercial success? Doubtful
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
If modern turboprops are both reliable and powerful enough, what prevents scaling from \~9–14 passengers to \~19 passengers on a single engine?🤖
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