PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Efficient altitude, reciprocating engines?
Old 13th January 2009 | 00:27
  #18 (permalink)  
Tinstaafl
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Joined: Dec 1998
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From: Escapee from Ultima Thule
Waren9,

You're confusing power with thrust curves in a *piston*. In a piston engine fuel flow is approx. proportional to power unlike a jet where FF is approx. proportional to thrust so endurance matches the lowest drag point & range the drag tangent

For a piston engine aircraft max. endurance occurs at minimum *power* required. Best range occurs at the tangent to the power curve, which also correlates to Min. Drag, best L/D ratio and best range glide speed/Vg
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