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Issue 25: It Was Worth the Wait
Propfan the Latest Buzzword in Aviation
The basic concept of the propfan has been with aviation for many years now though it is only in the past few years that a return to propellors for short to medium-haul 100/150-seat aircraft has been accepted as viable. Modern powerplant technology and advanced materials for propeller blade design spurred on by the second oil price hike of 79/80 have all contributed to the re-emergence of what today is termed the propfan.
Every large airframe and powerplant manufacturer alike are looking seriously at what propfans can offer. Most agree that savings in the region of 20% for propfans with a single set of blades and as much as 30% for those with contra-rotating blades can be had compared with the new generation of turbofans such as the CFM56-3 an. d the IAE V2500.
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