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Turbochargers: Taking Power Up High

Wastegate and one of the two turbochargers on a Cessna 400.

Full disclosure—we have a bias when it comes to turbosuperchargers. We like them. A lot. After flying them for more than 45 years and using them to get to altitudes that allowed a safe flight when we could not have even launched in a normally aspirated machine, we think that they are we’ll worth the cost of care and feeding. That’s above and beyond the comfort they have given us during mountain operations and high and hot takeoffs. Apparently, our opinion is consistent with the historical market as turbocharged singles and twins have outsold their normally aspirated kin. 

BACKGROUND

We call them by several names—turbo and turbocharger are shorthand for a turbosupercharger, which is a supercharger spun by a turbine in the exhaust system.  

Rick Durden

Senior Editor Rick Durden has written for Aviation Consumer since 1994 and specializes in aviation law. Rick is an active CFII and holds an ATP with type ratings in the Douglas DC-3 and Cessna Citation. He is the author of The Thinking Pilot’s Flight Manual or, How to Survive Flying Little Airplanes and Have a Ball Doing It, Vols. 1 & 2.