What is the maximum height a small propellar driven aeroplane can go?

Question

as well as a helicopter, and a large commercial jet

Answer 1

It obviously depends on the aircraft, but as a general figure 14-15,000 feet would be as high as most could acheive.

Answer 2

Around 15,000 feet, depending on the Aircraft Model on small piston airplanes.  I don't know about the other two.

Answer 3

D W is essentially correct, however the FAI (keeper of the record books) website lists the record setting flight as follows:

Altitude : 14 346 m

Date of flight: 15/11/2003

Pilot: Bruce BOHANNON (USA)

Course/place: Angleton, TX (USA)

Aircraft:

Bohannon B-1 (1 Mattituck/Lycoming IO-450, 350 bhp)

Registered 'N389BB'

Or, if you prefer,  47067 feet.

Just slightly higher than the altitude numbers provided by D W

After the initial post, I noticed there was more to your question, so here is a little more data:

Piston Helicopter

Altitude without payload : 6 739 m

Date of flight: 02/09/1953

Pilot: Russel M. DOBYNS (USA)

Course/place: Dayton, OH (USA)

Rotorcraft:

Piasecki YH-21 (1 Wright R-1820-103, 1 425 hp)

Turbine Helicopter

Altitude without payload : 12 442 m

Date of flight: 21/06/1972

Pilot: Jean BOULET (France)

Course/place: Aérodrome d'Istres (France)

Rotorcraft:

SA 315 Lama (1 Turboméca Artouste III B, 735 kW)

Airliner

Concorde - 51,000 feet (this is from my own recollection - I can't think of an air carrier type aircraft certificated to fly any higher.)  Most others top out at about FL430.  Some of the aircraft may be physically capable of flying higher, but are not legally permitted to do so.

Answer 4

Every aircraft is different.  Some small Cessna's can only get up to 14,000', but only if the pilot is on oxygen, as they are unpressurized.  I have personally had a helicopter up to 12,300', and that is as high as it would go, but for a publicity stunt, Eurocopter landed a helicopter on top of Mount Everest.  

http://www.everestnews.com/stories2005/e...

I have flown a turbine powered single engine prop plane at 31,000' and a 4 engined prop plane (P-3) at 34,000'.  there are so many differences in aircraft design that this is almost like asking what color car is the fastest.

Some generalizations, though - expect most small prop piston aircraft to stay below 12,000'.  Turboprops usually stay in the mid 20,000 range.  Airliners generally like to be in the mid 30,000 foot range.  Military fighter jets and some high performance buisiness jets are quite happy above 40,000'.

These are basic generalizations, and don't apply to all aircraft of that type.

Answer 5

Mr B is right - its horses for courses.

Is the engine supercharged? is the prop rated for the altitude?

Most unpressurised bug smashers are starting to struggle at 8000 ft.

But the maximum alt is up to the pilot and if he/she adheres to the aircrafts' specifications.

Around 10,000 ft oxygen supplementation is required (Dalton's law of partial pressure).

The same applies to helicopters - large commercial jets are a totally different story.