A lifelong aviation enthusiast who joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in 2007, Curt came to&nbsp;the publication&nbsp;from the broadcast industry where he was a national science and technology television reporter and producer. He writes on the FBO field, aviation finance, and sustainable aviation and occasionally contributes to&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;sister publication&nbsp;Business Jet Traveler. Curt was a member of the AINtv reporting staff that won the 2008 Aerospace Journalist of the Year award for Best Airshow Daily. That same year, he was a finalist for another AJOYA award. He earned an AJOYA for Best Business Aviation Submission in 2018 and was a finalist in that category in 2021. He received the National Air Transportation Association’s&nbsp; Aviation Journalist Award in 2012 and won a Pegasus Sapphire Business Aviation Award for outstanding journalism in 2021.
Before joining AIN, Curt worked with&nbsp;Consumer Reports’ television division, CRTV, and for several local television news staffs. An honors graduate of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, he earned a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University in 1995. Curt lives in New York State with his wife and two young sons.

Senior Editor

Curt Epstein

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Honeywell TPE331 turboprop engine, and since its type certification in 1965 (originally by Garrett AiResearch), the engine series has grown to include 18 models and more than 100 configurations. According to the manufacturer, which has one of the powerplants on display last week at EAA AirVenture 2016 at the Texas Turbine booth, it has delivered more than 13,500 of the engines, which have logged more than 122 million flight hours over the past half-century.

 


The TPE331, which generates more than 1,000 shp in its latest iteration, is known for its fuel efficiency and its short takeoff ability, the result of its simple single-shaft design and quick throttle response. It has powered a wide variety of aircraft, including the King Air B100, Mitsubishi MU-2 and Swearingen Merlin. Since 2010, AIN’s readers have awarded it the highest overall average score in the annual engine product support survey.

 


Looking ahead, Honeywell noted it “continues to work with airplane manufacturers across the aerospace industry to ensure the TPE331 will meet the needs of the aviation community for the next 50 years.”

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

Honeywell's TPE331 Celebrates its Golden Anniversary

In service for half a century now, the turboprop engine's makers are looking ahead to its centennial.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Hanneke Weitering

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Boom moves into Reaction Engines’ former hypersonic test facility

Boom Picks Supersonic Engine Test Site in Colorado

Matt Thurber

After five years, Harbour Air's eBeaver is about to achieve its 100th flight

MagniX Electric Aircraft Engine Notches Key Milestones

Amy Wilder

News and developments about aviation fuel, including jet fuel, aviation gasoline, and biofuel.

Collaboration, hydrogen fuel potential drives Kawasaki engine effort

Kawasaki Targets 2030 for Piston Engine Certification

Charles Alcock

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

H2Fly co-founder says availability of renewable energy to produce hydrogen fuel is critical

Hydrogen Pioneer Says First Aircraft Will Be in Service by 2030

Deal expands ignition parts support for regional jets

Igniter Deal Boosts C&L’s Engine Support

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

Test flights with a converted Bonanza A36 single-engined aircraft could start by the end of 2025

Stralis Sources Hydrogen Fuel Tanks for Aircraft Conversion Plans

News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.

EAA AirVenture 2016

More In Engines

Boom Picks Supersonic Engine Test Site in Colorado

Boom moves into Reaction Engines’ former hypersonic test facility

MagniX Electric Aircraft Engine Notches Key Milestones

After five years, Harbour Air's eBeaver is about to achieve its 100th flight

Kawasaki Targets 2030 for Piston Engine Certification

Collaboration, hydrogen fuel potential drives Kawasaki engine effort

Hydrogen Pioneer Says First Aircraft Will Be in Service by 2030

H2Fly co-founder says availability of renewable energy to produce hydrogen fuel is critical

Igniter Deal Boosts C&L’s Engine Support

Deal expands ignition parts support for regional jets

Stralis Sources Hydrogen Fuel Tanks for Aircraft Conversion Plans

Test flights with a converted Bonanza A36 single-engined aircraft could start by the end of 2025

ZeroAvia Scales Fuel Cell Stack for Smaller UAS and VTOL Applications

SuperStack Flex hardware is now available with lower power levels of 100 kilowatts

Safran's EngineUs Engines Will Power Atea eVTOL Aircraft

EASA recently type certified the 100 kilowatt electric motors

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