Question

Which of the following is an advantage of the piston prop engine?

(a) Cheap and low fuel consumption

(b) Highest speed

(c) Supersonic speed always

(d) Limited performance

I had been asked this question in a job interview.

This intriguing question originated from Propulsion Selection in chapter Propulsion and Fuel System Integration of Aircraft Design

Answer 1

Right choice is (a) Cheap and low fuel consumption

To explain I would say: Piston prop engine are widely used during early era. Piston prop engine provides cheap and low fuel consumption. Piston prop engine suffers from speed limits.