Definition
Aircraft piston engines fitted with a turbocharger — a device that uses energy from the engine's exhaust gases to spin a turbine, which drives a compressor that forces additional air into the engine's intake. By packing more air into the cylinders, the engine can burn more fuel and maintain rated power at altitudes where a normally aspirated engine would lose power due to thinner air.
Plain English
Engines that use their own exhaust to push extra air into the cylinders, so they keep producing strong power even when flying high where the air is thin.
Context Anchor
Seen in takeoff and climb performance discussions, especially for departures from hot or high-elevation airports and for climbs to higher cruising altitudes.
Derivation
From 'turbo' (turbine, a wheel spun by flowing gas) and 'charge' (to fill or load up). The exhaust-driven turbine 'charges' the cylinders with extra air. Knowing this helps explain why these engines behave differently — they recycle exhaust energy that would otherwise be wasted.
Why Pilots Care
These engines maintain takeoff power and climb rate from high airports and allow operations at altitudes where normally aspirated engines lose performance, directly affecting runway length required and time to reach cruising altitude.
Analogy
A turbocharger is a little like helping a fire burn in thin air by blowing more air into it. The engine still has limits, but the extra air helps it keep producing power when the surrounding air is not dense enough on its own.
Intuition Check
Turbocharged does not mean unlimited power. It means the engine uses compressed intake air to help maintain power, especially as outside air gets thinner with altitude.
Example Sentence 1
Because the airplane had turbocharged engines, the pilot was able to maintain full rated power well into the climb above 10,000 feet.
Example Sentence 2
During the climb, the pilot monitored turbine inlet temperature to keep the turbocharged engines within limits while maintaining best rate of climb.