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mins
mins
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For simplicity, assume a single-engine plane with a two-blade propeller. Just imagine an aircraft is perfectly level and moving forward through the air. The angle of attack on both blades of the propeller would be the same. Now imagine the plane pitches up a bit. One blade's angle of attack will increase and other will decrease.

enter image description here
(source: AOPA.org)

Within reason, the greater the angle of attack, the greater the thrust generated. So one blade (or, to be more precise, a blade on one side of the aircraft) will generate more thrust than the other.

For simplicity, assume a single-engine plane with a two-blade propeller. Just imagine an aircraft is perfectly level and moving forward through the air. The angle of attack on both blades of the propeller would be the same. Now imagine the plane pitches up a bit. One blade's angle of attack will increase and other will decrease. Within reason, the greater the angle of attack, the greater the thrust generated. So one blade (or, to be more precise, a blade on one side of the aircraft) will generate more thrust than the other.

For simplicity, assume a single-engine plane with a two-blade propeller. Just imagine an aircraft is perfectly level and moving forward through the air. The angle of attack on both blades of the propeller would be the same. Now imagine the plane pitches up a bit. One blade's angle of attack will increase and other will decrease.

enter image description here
(source: AOPA.org)

Within reason, the greater the angle of attack, the greater the thrust generated. So one blade (or, to be more precise, a blade on one side of the aircraft) will generate more thrust than the other.

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David Schwartz
David Schwartz
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For simplicity, assume a single-engine plane with a two-blade propeller. Just imagine an aircraft is perfectly level and moving forward through the air. The angle of attack on both blades of eachthe propeller would havebe the same angle of attack. Now imagine the plane pitches up a bit. One blade's angle of attack will increase and other will decrease. Within reason, the greater the angle of attack, the greater the thrust generated. So one blade (or, to be more precise, a blade on one side of the aircraft) will generate more thrust than the other.

Just imagine an aircraft is perfectly level and moving forward through the air. The angle of attack on both blades of each propeller would have the same angle of attack. Now imagine the plane pitches up a bit. One blade's angle of attack will increase and other will decrease. Within reason, the greater the angle of attack, the greater the thrust generated. So one blade (or, to be more precise, a blade on one side of the aircraft) will generate more thrust than the other.

For simplicity, assume a single-engine plane with a two-blade propeller. Just imagine an aircraft is perfectly level and moving forward through the air. The angle of attack on both blades of the propeller would be the same. Now imagine the plane pitches up a bit. One blade's angle of attack will increase and other will decrease. Within reason, the greater the angle of attack, the greater the thrust generated. So one blade (or, to be more precise, a blade on one side of the aircraft) will generate more thrust than the other.

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David Schwartz
David Schwartz
  • 313
  • 1
  • 8

Just imagine an aircraft is perfectly level and moving forward through the air. The angle of attack on both blades of each propeller would have the same angle of attack. Now imagine the plane pitches up a bit. One blade's angle of attack will increase and other will decrease. Within reason, the greater the angle of attack, the greater the thrust generated. So one blade (or, to be more precise, a blade on one side of the aircraft) will generate more thrust than the other.