On: The potentially revolutionary Celera 500L aircraft

[sunstone]

I recall from the last time this plane hit the news cycle that it is designed to cruise at 60,000 feet where air density is lower and better fuel efficiency can be had.

[VBprogrammer → sunstone]

To put that claim into context the manned single engine piston height record is held by a specially modified Rutan Long Ez and was around 35,000ft.

[mediaman → sunstone]

Prop planes don’t work well at higher elevation. There’s nothing for the prop to work against. It’s why jet engines, with their compression, work better.

Props work better than jets at low elevation where the span of a propeller can work against a lot of high density air.