On page 35 of SEWTHA
I wrote this:
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Q: Aren't turboprop aircraft far more energy-efficient?
A: No. The ``comfortably greener'' Bombardier Q400 NextGen,
``the most technologically advanced turboprop in the world,''
according to its manufacturers [www.q400.com],
uses 3.81 litres per 100 passenger-km (at a cruise speed of 667 km/h),
which is an energy cost of 38 kWh per 100 p-km.
The full 747 has an energy cost of 42 kWh per 100 p-km.
So both planes are twice as fuel-efficient as a single-occupancy car.
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| ATR600 - all images from atraircraft.com |
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but I'd like to now make this addition:
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It is claimed that the even-greener
ATR72-600
is about one third more energy efficient than
the Q400, using 25 kWh per 100 p-km (2.5 litres per 100 passenger-km, at a cruise speed of 560 km/h).
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And thus I should perhaps update my
answer to this question from "No" to "Maybe -- the best turboprops are a little more energy-efficient".
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