Propellers make a comeback on a new type of aircraft engine
Propfans will be cleaner and more fuel-efficient
WHEN A MODIFIED MD-80 airliner flew at the 1988 Farnborough air show in Britain, it was supposed to represent the future of air travel. One of its rear-mounted jet engines had been replaced with an unusual form of propulsion. This consisted of two rings of short propeller-like blades mounted in the open air, immediately behind the jet housing and spinning in opposite directions. Some called it a propfan, others an unducted fan or open rotor. Whatever the name, many said it marked the return of the propeller for large passenger aircraft.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Back to prop swinging”
From the July 31st 2021 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Science & technology
Can you breathe stress away?
It won’t hurt to try. But scientists are only beginning to understand the links between the breath and the mind
The Economist’s science and technology internship
We invite applications for the 2025 Richard Casement internship
A better understanding of Huntington’s disease brings hope
Previous research seems to have misinterpreted what is going on
Is obesity a disease?
It wasn’t. But it is now
Volunteers with Down’s syndrome could help find Alzheimer’s drugs
Those with the syndrome have more of a protein implicated in dementia
Should you start lifting weights?
You’ll stay healthier for longer if you’re strong