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Questions tagged [propeller]

Aircraft propellers are airfoils which convert rotary motion from a piston or turbine engine into thrust suitable for propelling an aircraft.

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14 votes
1 answer
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What is this indication on most turboprops?

What is the small fan I've seen on different turboprops?
Boeing787's user avatar
  • 5,644
0 votes
1 answer
105 views

Why would the tip of a propeller stall if geometric pitch was the same throughout the length of the propeller?

I can't seem to understand this sentence from the FAA PHAK about why propellers are "twisted." "If the blades had the same geometric pitch throughout their lengths, at cruise speed the ...
thunderstormies's user avatar
9 votes
3 answers
2k views

Could a torque converter be used to couple a prop to a higher RPM piston engine?

Every RPM reduction gearbox I look at seems to have more parts in it than a Swiss watch. Great for keeping time but many parts to wear and breakdown. What seems especially worrisome is the direct ...
Robert DiGiovanni's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
252 views

Why are aircraft piston engines are so low rpm lazy engines?

I understand that the propeller speed should not be too much otherwise it will stall at the tip and be useless so higher rpm engine would be useless when we first think about it. However, we can put a ...
Timothy Scherer's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
58 views

Stall on low airspeed with high power on right-turning propeller

Q: The pilot of an aeroplane with a single engine and right-turning propeller (clockwise from the pilot’s viewpoint) decides to go around. The pilot raises the nose too much as the power increases and ...
Filip Adam's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
86 views

Torque and engine torque after aplying prandtl tip loss factor

I have a question regards to the following formula related to Blade Element Momentum theory for the application to calculate on airplane propellers: $$ dQ=4\pi r^3 \rho V_\infty(1+a) a' \Omega F dr ...
Veltro's user avatar
  • 65
1 vote
1 answer
111 views

How to know what kinds of airfoil being used in a commercial propeller?

Suppose we know the 3D CAD model of a commercial propeller. Starting from that, we do the slicing to get the profile of airfoil being used to generate the complete shape of the propeller. How do we ...
IFX21's user avatar
  • 11
2 votes
0 answers
130 views

What would have been the pitch angle of this McCauley Prop before impact?

I'm trying to determine the pre-impact pitch of a two blade McCauley variable pitch on a Cessna 210 that hit shallow ocean water (8 feet, mostly sand) shortly after takeoff from an altitude of 300 ...
Argonaut5's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
33 views

Pusher vs Pull prop [duplicate]

Probably a pretty simple question, but what exactly are the pros and cons of pull and push propellers, and is there a reason why pull propellers are a lot more prevalent in planes than pusher ones?
BryBuriya's user avatar
  • 231
2 votes
2 answers
157 views

How does propeller length, pitch, and airspeed affect efficiency? [closed]

tl;dr: trying to find propeller efficiency with thrust, velocity and power and see which propeller length to pitch ratio is efficient. Hello, I'm a high school student working on an extended essay for ...
shrey's user avatar
  • 21
2 votes
2 answers
1k views

What is the nature of feathering in an ATR type aircraft?

If the engines fail for some reason midflight, does the ATR aircraft automatically feather the affected engine? In rare cases if both engines fail, does the automatic feathering happen for both ...
Regmi's user avatar
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0 votes
2 answers
175 views

Centrifugal force created by a 1045 propeller

I currently am creating a project in which I'm using a 1045 propeller with a BLDC motor that spins at ~16,000RPM. It is powering a single motor "rocket" that basically is configured to carry ...
Aadiraj Anil's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
89 views

P Factor vs Spiral Slipstream

Does anyone know of any real aeroplane or wind-tunnel tests that quantifies the effects of asymmetric propeller blade loading (P factor) versus the Spiralling Slipstream effect in creating yaw. Which ...
Forbes's user avatar
  • 299
-2 votes
2 answers
138 views

Is my equation for calculating ducted propeller thrust correct?

The equation is 13(EfficiencyxProp diameterxoutlet diameter)^2/3 It seems really high when I use inches and really low when I use feet.
Lelotz's user avatar
  • 127
11 votes
4 answers
2k views

If the pitch of a bypass fan blade in a turbofan is fixed how does it manage to provide thrust over such a large speed range?

A fixed pitch propeller is only good for aircraft that do around 100kts because the angle of attack on the propeller decreases as the forward airspeed of the aircraft increases, limiting the thrust ...
Ian's user avatar
  • 111
1 vote
0 answers
79 views

Would the dle 55ra engine be enough to power my paramotor(ducted fan)?

I plan on using the dle 55ra engine to produce 5hp at 8,500 rpm. I am using it in a paramotor, and to save space I am considering using a ducted propeller similar to the Fulcrum power pod. The duct ...
Lelotz's user avatar
  • 127
24 votes
4 answers
7k views

How did the propellers on the B-29 stop perfectly in sync?

In the photos below, the propellers on the B-29 props all stop in the same position. Is this done by hand, it is this automatic?
Boeing787's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
135 views

What is the aerodynamic influence of prop spacing and placement in multi-prop engine setups

I saw this question Is there a rule of thumb for spacing between jet engines?, which referred to How do you choose engine placement for under wings engines?, but I was wondering how the engine spacing ...
ROIMaison's user avatar
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0 votes
0 answers
70 views

where is the centrifugal force the flyweights experience coming from?

The T6b uses a PT6-68 engine which has a variable pitch, constant speed, feather, and non-reversible prop system. There is only one lever in the cockpit which regulates Torque and the Power Management ...
YamchaAviator's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
264 views

How to calculate lift/thrust effect of adding blade to a propeller?

Source: Say I have blades of a propeller of an aircraft (airplane or helicopter). The blades have exactly the same profile, size, dimension, and weight, and will be coupled to a shaft with the same ...
AirCraft Lover's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
59 views

Has the use of a radiator surface on the inside of duct ever been tried?

I wonder if using radiating surface on the inside of a ducted fan to dispel the waste heat of an engine would provide an economic advantage by increasing thrust? Since a typical engine “wastes” some ...
Numpty One's user avatar
3 votes
5 answers
307 views

Estimating piston-engine thrust on take-off

In my Uni course I've learnt how a piston-engine produces a constant power, as opposed to a constant thrust like in a jet engine, which can be estimated as Thrust = Power / Velocity. However, using ...
Joe Franks's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
272 views

Jumo 222 What are the design choices that lead to this particular nose cone and spinning cowling setup?

Looking for Jumo 222 powered aircraft, I came across this picture of a Junker Ju 288, with this strange spinning cowling and propeller setup, what are the considerations behind this design, how does ...
jkztd's user avatar
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4 votes
3 answers
732 views

Is it a better idea to put propellers on the wings than the nose?

Most propeller aircraft have either a single propeller at the nose or two propellers on the wings. Nose propellers have a big disadvantage as the big fuselage can obstruct the airflow of the propeller ...
哲煜黄's user avatar
  • 143
-2 votes
2 answers
180 views

What are these points in the Propeller Schematic?

If it matters, this is taken from EASA PPL questions. The graphic appears to be taken from the side point of view, although I've never seen such a round Spinner, unless it's a variable pitch propeller ...
GANoob4eva's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
341 views

Do constant speed propellers actually increase fuel efficiency?

I have a few questions regarding constant speed props. As a pilot who just recently moved up to aircraft equipped with constant speed props (Cessna 182, Piper Dakota), I understand that a constant ...
geckofox's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
109 views

Why have supercritical airfoils not been used in designing the propeller blades?

In terms of specific fuel consumption, propellers are more economic than jet engines at low speeds (<0.5 Mach) but at high speeds, the propeller blade tip reaches locally to supersonic speeds which ...
Dhirendu Somani's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
2k views

Could ducted propellers improve efficiency in small drones?

I have seen that a new electric airplane design has decided to a choose ducted propeller design somewhat similar to the one of jet engines, explaining this design choice with the fact the ducted ...
AndreaF's user avatar
  • 181
1 vote
1 answer
145 views

What's the reason of engine roughness while leveling off from climb or recovering from stall?

I want to find out that if relative wind pressure can affect engine or not.
Mike's user avatar
  • 115
2 votes
1 answer
278 views

Variable-pitch propeller blade design (AOA)

For a variable pitch propeller where the angle of attack can be adjusted during flight, are the individual blades similar in design to standard propellers, with a low angle of attack at the edge of ...
Moocow22's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
100 views

What is the range of ratios between optimal propeller efficiency and true propeller efficiency?

In https://aviation.stackexchange.com/a/15383/20394, the optimal prop efficiency is given as: $$\eta^{opt}_{Prop} = \frac{1 - \frac{\Delta v\cdot \left({v_{\infty} + \frac{\Delta v}{2}}\right)}{d_P^2\...
Kenn Sebesta's user avatar
  • 4,399
0 votes
1 answer
1k views

static thrust vs. prop RPM data?

edit: question was too long, and is actually simple, so I removed unneccesary description Background: There are many questions here about: propeller efficiency changes to thrust when it is dynamic ...
ivanantuns's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
105 views

When using momentum theory for estimating power needed to hover, is propulsive efficiency accounted for?

I am using momentum theory to estimate power needed for an eVTOL. I have read past papers where the results got from momentum theory was direcly use to estimate the power needed from the battery. How ...
P Ek's user avatar
  • 41
0 votes
2 answers
268 views

Why the greater the propeller slip is, the more thrust it generates?

Forgive my poor English skill and my entry-level understanding of aviation stuffs. I'm currently a student pilot. As I understood, the propeller slip kind of represents the propeller efficiency in ...
master olof's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
100 views

How reliable are the available airfoil data sources?

I am making calculations based on Blade Element (Momentum) theory (BEM) for propellers and I am trying to find the angle of attack at which the propeller performs most efficiently. If I have ...
Veltro's user avatar
  • 65
3 votes
3 answers
3k views

Power calculation of propeller

This is probably a very simple question, but I have been really struggling and need your help. I have simulated a propeller with these parameters on Ansys: Thrust: 2000 N Angular Velocity: 314 rad/s ...
P Ek's user avatar
  • 41
28 votes
3 answers
7k views

What aircraft was the Olmstead High Efficiency Propeller for? When and how was it used?

The AFResearchLab video AFRL Tech Museum Series: Propeller Development begins with the narrator standing in front of four propellers in a sequence transitioning from wood to metal, and what stands out ...
uhoh's user avatar
  • 5,298
0 votes
0 answers
104 views

What is the meaning of "Contra-Rotating Propeller Increases Efficiency"? How is it calculated?

This picture is taken from here. In that video is mentioned that contra-rotating propeller increases efficiency up to 6-16%. Regardless of the number that could be vary from one airplane to another, ...
AirCraft Lover's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
179 views

Can a fixed pitch propeller be designed to act as both a propeller and a generator?

The angle of attack (AoA) plays a major role in designing a propeller for specific uses, such as if it is to be designed for aircraft propulsion the AoA must be high, while the AoA must be low if it ...
Mohammed Siddique's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
216 views

Why do you have to turn off the prop sync when changing the engine rpm? [closed]

I understand how prop sync works, I just don't understand why you have to have to turn it off to switch the rpm. Is there something that I am missing?
Boeing787's user avatar
  • 5,644
3 votes
1 answer
212 views

Could small ramjets on the tip of propellers allow for supersonic spin of turbine blades?

Well, of course, if it was practical, someone would've already done that, but I'm still curious. As you can imagine, I'm an illiterate on the matter of aerodynamics, and even though supersonic ...
Fulano's user avatar
  • 187
10 votes
8 answers
3k views

How would you design an airplane to counteract a single engine’s left turning tendencies?

How would you design an airplane to counteract a single engine’s left turning tendencies caused by torque, p-factor, spiraling slipstream and gyroscopic precession without pilot input or use of rudder?...
TayE's user avatar
  • 6,517
0 votes
2 answers
965 views

Why does the centrifugal twisting force move variable pitch propellers to fine?

In my research on the forces acting on and influencing a single engine, non feathering variable pitch propeller's ability to change blade angle, I've come across a bit of a roadblock. Aerodynamic ...
hiigaran's user avatar
  • 185
3 votes
3 answers
267 views

How does the Urbanaero flying car move forward?

From the pictures of UrbanAero flying car: https://www.urbanaero.com/cityhawk, I can see that can achieve VTOL using the two propeller in front of and in the back of the passenger compartments. ...
Faito Dayo's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
330 views

How does the wake behind a propeller blade affect the next blade if the airflow through the propeller should be clearing the wake?

Propeller or wind turbine often has only 3 blades,reason is wake behind each blade interfere with next blade. I think wind that comes to propeller must clear this wake,so faster you go the air for ...
user207141's user avatar
  • 1,630
0 votes
0 answers
324 views

What is propeller pitch speed?

I was using Ecalc to calculate some flight parameters and then I came across this term called "propeller pitch speed". Can anyone explain me what this means?
Deepu Johnson's user avatar
18 votes
6 answers
8k views

Why have propeller engines never been mounted on the tail in production transport aircraft?

Recently, Embraer teased this concept. Unlike jet engines, I have never heard of a production airliner or executive aircraft that mounted propellers on the tail like this. From the source: the new ...
Abdullah's user avatar
  • 3,518
2 votes
1 answer
205 views

What are techniques for balancing a radially folding propeller?

When balancing a radially folding propeller, such as the MagCAD 60x23, what are some techniques to employ? A static balance is challenging because the orientation of the blades is not fixed. Dynamic ...
Kenn Sebesta's user avatar
  • 4,399
11 votes
1 answer
2k views

Which popular turboprop engine feathers its propeller blades with each shutdown?

Chapter 12 of the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook, discussing multiengine flying, goes into quite a bit of detail in the propeller section about how most feathering-propeller-equipped engines on ...
Vikki's user avatar
  • 27.8k
1 vote
2 answers
184 views

What propeller for flying slow and efficiently? [closed]

So I'm getting into R/C flying and got myself a nice, but pre-owned trainer model. One of the things that need replacing is the propeller, which is a 2-blade nylon 10x8 with too many signs of damage ...
Sixtyfive's user avatar
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