For the uninitiated, the gas turbine you see in the single and twin-engine aircraft is an internal combustion engine that uses air to drive the engine and propeller, which in turn, propels the airplane. It achieves this with the help of heat energy from fuel that it converts to mechanical energy via the pistons.

Here's how the gas turbine combines with the compressor:

1. Intake of air
2. Compression of the air
3. Air is mixed with right quantity of fuel and ignited.
4. Energy release in above process is used to drive the plane forward.

Now just as a car engine gets hot and needs to be kept cool, ditto the aircraft engine. In f ... Read more »