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Are planes more fuel efficient at higher altitudes?
Climbing to a higher altitude allows the jet to operate in thinner air, where fuel economy is better and drag is reduced for longer. Although it is counterintuitive, climbing to a higher altitude and then descending can save fuel.
Do supercharged engines lose power at altitude?
Of course, at some altitude the supercharging system cannot maintain sea level power anymore (remember, all engines are naturally aspirated upstream of the supercharger). This is that engine’s critical altitude, and above it a supercharged engine’s power diminishes at the same rate as a naturally aspirated engine.
How does a piston engine change with altitude?
If you look at the thermodynamic cycle of a turbo-compound engine, it looks almost like that of a jet. Still, the high bypass ratio translates into a lower optimum flight speed and the lower power-to-weight ratio usual for piston aircraft limits the maximum altitude and makes them more susceptible to adverse winds.
How does the range of an airplane change with altitude?
For piston aircraft flying within their design envelope (not trying to beat the jets), the available range does not change with altitude. [The] maximum available specific range (miles per gallon or pound of fuel) is independent of altitude. That’s the theoretical conclusion, the actual is ±1%, which is close enough to the theoretical.
How does a piston engine work at sea level?
These engines can maintain rated power to higher than sea level altitudes. Essentially, this is like running a piston engine at partial power when at sea level—say, 20″ of manifold pressure, instead of the normal sea level maximum of 30″—but being able to maintain that power up to perhaps 10,000′.
Which is the best piston aircraft for altitude?
Piston aircraft that fall under the GA header these days have a pretty wide range of altitude capabilities. The Piper Archer I fly wont really get over 10,000 but you can get your instrument rating and grab a Mooney Acclaim which will take you well into the flight levels and get you up to 25,000 Ft. best altitudes for ground-speed….