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LEARN TO RECOGNISE

Aircraft Academy

16 guides · 64 knowledge checks

Build your eye for aircraft. Work through real-photo comparisons, learn the recognition clues and put them to use in four checks per guide.

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GUIDE 1 OF 16 · Foundations

Flight Deck Plus · Aircraft Academy

Start with the engine shape before trying to name the aircraft.

Find the propeller
The ATR 72 has a large propeller ahead of each wing-mounted engine. The 737-800 has turbofan engines with broad circular intakes and no exposed propeller.
Use the whole silhouette
The ATR has a high wing and a T-tail. The 737 has a low swept wing and its horizontal tail sits below the top of the fin.
Know what the clue means
A turboprop uses a gas turbine to drive a propeller. Seeing a propeller does not automatically mean the aircraft has a piston engine.

Keep in mind: A spinning propeller can disappear into a blur in a photograph. Check another visible feature before deciding.

Does an exposed propeller prove an aircraft has a piston engine?
1. Yes, every propeller aircraft is piston-powered.
2. No, a turboprop also drives a propeller.
3. Only if the aircraft has two engines.
Which pair of visible clues fits the ATR 72 here?
1. Low wing and broad turbofan intakes
2. Two full passenger decks and four engines
3. High wing and two exposed propellers
What separates the exposed propeller in this ATR photo from the fan of a turbofan?
1. The propeller is outside a circular engine intake.
2. A turbofan cannot have visible blades.
3. Only the number of blades matters.
Both aircraft have two engines. What does that tell you by itself?
1. They must use the same type of engine.
2. They must carry the same number of passengers.
3. Engine count is a start; engine form and layout still matter.

No, a turboprop also drives a propeller.. Turboprops use gas turbines to drive propellers. Engine appearance is a clue to the type of propulsion, not proof of a piston engine.
High wing and two exposed propellers. The ATR 72 combines a high wing with two wing-mounted turboprops. Use both clues together.
The propeller is outside a circular engine intake.. A turbofan's fan sits within its nacelle. The ATR's propeller disc is outside the engine casing, ahead of the wing.
Engine count is a start; engine form and layout still matter.. The ATR and 737 both have two engines but different propulsion and airframe layouts. Combine count, shape, wing and tail.

Photo credits and aircraft sources: https://frankielovell.com/#photo-credits

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1. Does an exposed propeller prove an aircraft has a piston engine?

2. Which pair of visible clues fits the ATR 72 here?

3. What separates the exposed propeller in this ATR photo from the fan of a turbofan?

4. Both aircraft have two engines. What does that tell you by itself?