Questions tagged [propeller-aircraft]

Questions regarding aircraft driven by propellers, rather than by jet or rocket engines, gravity, atmospheric motion, being towed, or flapping their wings.

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2 votes
2 answers
462 views

Different Engine/Prop Sizes on Same Wing/Single Craft?

On a four propeller/engine wing, I’m wondering if theoretically at least, you could have a larger engine near the root of the wing with smaller engine(s) further out on the span..?.. If you could have ...
0 votes
1 answer
75 views

How many ways/methods to calculate propeller/rotor's power output? Which one is the best?

Source: Wikipedia I want to know how many ways/methods to calculate the output power of a propeller? So far I knew three methods: Momentum Theory (MT), Blade Element Theory (BET), Blade Element ...
17 votes
2 answers
4k views

What determines the direction of rotation for counter-rotating propellers?

As Wikipedia and other sources make clear, most twins with counter-rotating props are configured with the left (#1) prop turning clockwise (as viewed from behind the plane) and the right (#2) prop ...
3 votes
1 answer
1k views

Do ducted fans have a future in forward flight aircraft? Can they be made more efficient than open rotors?

I'm fascinated by how ducted fans have the ability to be more efficient than open propellers of equal diameter in vertical flight through the use of tight tolerances, lightweight duct material, proper ...
3 votes
2 answers
554 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 ...
6 votes
4 answers
2k views

Do all single-engined aircraft experience torque that cause a turning tendency during the takeoff roll?

I've been flying the Cirrus Vision SF-50 for quite some time on my X-plane 11. Having a single turbofan engine mounted near the V-tail, I expected the requirement of at least a little right rudder. ...
6 votes
5 answers
741 views

Does a left spin differ from a right spin for a single-engine propeller aircraft, in terms of spin characteristics & ease of recovery?

Given a single-engine propeller aircraft with its nose-mounted propeller rotating on the right-hand side when viewed from the cockpit, and given the typical effects like P-factor, prop-wash and ...
1 vote
2 answers
614 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 ...
1 vote
0 answers
46 views

Evaluating maximum TAS for a given available power

This is the original problem: A turboprop aircraft with a weight of 162 kN is equipped with a power plant with a power derating model described by $\frac{P_A}{P_{A,0}} = 0.9\sigma^{0.75}$, where $P_{...
5 votes
3 answers
3k views

How come a turboprop can't reach speeds as high as a turbofan?

I understand that turbofan powered aircraft can reach much faster speeds than turboprops like the C130 Hercules, and I can't imagine a turbofan turboprop powered 737 would be of any use really, but as ...
1 vote
2 answers
213 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 ...
11 votes
1 answer
2k views

Identify Aircraft in Petra Album Art

Was listening to one of Petra's old songs, when I noted the aircraft in the cover image. I tried searching on the net, but couldn't find anything. It appears to be a pusher aircraft, with a four blade ...
2 votes
2 answers
837 views

Why does propeller slip (efficiency) change during the flight (fixed-pitch)?

I was wondering how the efficiency of a fixed-pitch propeller changes during different stages of flight and why it does so. I suppose when we are talking about propeller efficiency we are actually ...
0 votes
1 answer
154 views

How to decide the diameter of a propeller and number of propellers needed in a UAV I am designing? [closed]

I want to design a turboprop aircraft. I know all the design parameters such as lift, thrust, weight etc at a given flight stage. I want to know what the size of the propeller should be.
9 votes
1 answer
2k views

Can anyone identify this pusher plane from apparently the 1930s?

I have performed two searches - a photo search and also an FAA NC number search and failed at both to identify this pusher airplane. My family photo says it was taken by my mother at the Chicago ...
8 votes
2 answers
719 views

Can anyone help me with the Make, Model (version), and Unit of this WWII army trainer. Appears to be an AT-6 version

Location: Madison, WI Municipal Airport on May 21, 1939. Notice the straight bottom on the vertical stabilizer, crest emblem, pitot tubes, landing gear, exhaust location, antenna, etc. I have two ...
4 votes
2 answers
567 views

How does one choose the number of blades and the diameter required for a turboprop propeller?

I am interested in the preliminary design of a regional aircraft that uses turboprops as the propulsion method. Following considerable research online about propeller design (disk theory, BEM...) I am ...
2 votes
1 answer
4k views

How do power and thrust curves compare?

I would like to really understand why when talking about jets we care about thrust but when talking about propeller aircraft we care about power. (THRUST)="Just a force" (POWER)= work/time = ...
0 votes
2 answers
544 views

What´s the logic behind the Power Curve?

Aircaft thrust is what counteracts drag, but in flight school they tought us that propeller aircraft are "power producers" and not thrust producers as jets. (That´s because the propeller ...
9 votes
5 answers
5k views

Do jet aircraft have a better glide ratio than propeller aircraft in general? If so, why?

Being fond of aviation, I play with software simulators a lot. I have noticed that while jets seem to be able to glide for a long distance even at zero throttle, propeller aircraft need to be ...
0 votes
6 answers
883 views

Does angular momentum contributes in lifting a helicopter? [closed]

I want to know whether it is possible to make a helicopter with blades that rotate counter-clockwise (CCW) seen from below. I have difficulty understanding the angular momentum in this situation. As ...
1 vote
1 answer
464 views

What is this military turboprop aircraft?

I took a video of this military turboprop aircraft on August 6, 2020 at 7:03 PM in Long Beach, California. Here is a screenshot of it:
8 votes
3 answers
799 views

How do propeller planes sync their propellers?

While reading this question, I found that the answers did not address the point I had come for. On planes with electronic propeller synchronization, how is it actually accomplished? I know why ...
1 vote
1 answer
142 views

Does an heavy propeller aircraft (CS-25) have the Blu Line (Vyse) displayed on ASI?

Does a propeller aircraft that is categorized as CS-25 (EASA Regulation) have the Blue Line (Vyse) mandatory displyed on ASI? I know that would be the case for lighter aircraft (Less than 19000 lbs /...
4 votes
2 answers
1k views

What are the aerodynamic design principles behind the "supersonic" propeller of Luigi Colani's C-309 racing plane?

One of Luigi Colani's designs that is particularly confusing to me is the second design iteration of the C-309 propeller racing airplane. Allegedly, its two propellers are designed to be supersonic ...
0 votes
0 answers
235 views

Does a 3-blade prop handle up/down drafts better than a 2-blade?

I'm about to order a plane kit (RV-10) and one of the choices I'll be making is a 3-blade vs 2-blade propeller. A 3-blade prop should be: easier to balance, quieter and capable of generating more ...
2 votes
0 answers
100 views

Supersonic propellers for supersonic aircraft? [duplicate]

A propeller is a spinning wing. Supersonic wings work. So, provided that the blades are made wide-chord and thin like supersonic wings are, with a supersonic airfoil, can they not power efficiently a ...
16 votes
1 answer
3k views

Can anyone identify the aircraft in the background of this photo?

This photo was found in some family belongings and we're trying to date it to identify the family member who may have been in his tri-service imaged. So, can anyone identify the plane in the ...
0 votes
0 answers
95 views

What is the effect of moving a propeller closer to a wing?

Does it improve efficiency? What if the wing is just a plate? Certainly increasing plate thickness will decrease efficiency.
2 votes
2 answers
328 views

How does the noise of a 2-to-4-seat helicopter compare with that of a similarly-sized fixed-wing aircraft?

We are considering allowing helicopters on our private airstrip (2600 ft strip). Noise on the ground (and approach) is the concern from the community. Does anyone know approximate dB ratings for a ...
4 votes
2 answers
324 views

Why are propeller driven aircraft commonly built with a higher wing aspect ratio and a straighter wing angle?

Why do propeller driven aircraft (especially smaller ones like fighters) tend to have a narrower wing with a higher aspect ratio and a more perpendicular wing angle in relation to the body, whereas ...