Definition
An aircraft that produces thrust by means of a propeller turned by an engine, rather than by jet exhaust. The propeller's spinning blades accelerate a mass of air rearward, and the reaction to that acceleration moves the aircraft forward. Most piston-engine aircraft and turboprops fall into this category.
Plain English
An airplane that flies by using a spinning propeller to pull or push it through the air, instead of using a jet engine.
Context Anchor
Seen in performance and drag-curve discussions, especially when comparing thrust and power required at different airspeeds.
Derivation
Propeller' comes from the Latin propellere, meaning 'to drive forward.' A propeller-driven aircraft is therefore literally one that is driven forward by a device whose job is to push it forward through the air.
Why Pilots Care
Propeller-driven aircraft produce higher thrust at low speeds and show a different shape on power-required curves than jets, directly affecting climb performance, takeoff distance, and fuel planning in instrument flight.
Intuition Check
Do not read “propeller-driven” as merely “an aircraft that has a propeller.” Here it means the propeller is the main device producing forward thrust.
Example Sentence 1
For a propeller-driven aircraft, the power-required curve is the most useful tool for finding maximum endurance speed.
Example Sentence 2
During the instrument flight review, the instructor noted that propeller-driven aircraft require different power settings than jets when flying the same approach speed.