PROPELLERS

 Converts the power delivered by an engine into propulsive

thrust in order to propel an aircraft

PROPELLER NOMENCLATURE
 Propeller Hub
o Where the blades are connected
 Hub Bore
o Permits a propeller to be mounted on the engine crankshaft
or to a reduction gear assembly
 Blade Shank
o Portion of a propeller blade that is nearest the hub
 Blade Tip
o Portion furthest from the hub
 Blade Back
o Curved or cambered side of a propeller blade
 Blade Face
o Flat side of a propeller blade
 Blade Stations
o A reference position on a propeller blade that is a specified
distance from the center of the hub
 Blade Angle
o The acute angle formed by a propeller’s plane of rotation
and the blade’s chord line
 Blade Cuff
o An airfoil shaped attachment made of thin sheets of metal,
plastic, or composite material
FACTORS AFFECTING PROPELLER THRUST
 Angle of attack of the propeller blades
 The speed the blades move through the air
 Shape of the airfoil
ANGLE OF ATTACK
 The angle formed by the chord line of the blade and the relative
wind

ROTATIONAL VELOCITY ALONG A PROPELLER BLADE

SEGMENT

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FORCES ACTING ON A PROPELLER

CENTRIFUGAL FORCE
 Causes the greatest stress
 The force which tries to pull the blade out of the hub
THRUST BENDING
 Force that attempts to bend the propeller blades forward at the
tips
TORQUE BENDING
 Tends to bend the blades opposite the direction of rotation
AERODYNAMIC TWISTING
 Tends to increase a propeller’s blade angle
CENTRIFUGAL TWISTING
 Opposes aerodynamic twisting force in that it attempts to
decrease a propeller’s blade angle

PROPELLER PITCH
 Theoretical distance a propeller advances longitudinally in one
revolution
GEOMETRIC PITCH
 Distance that a propeller will move forward in one revolution if
it were moving through a solid medium and did not encounter
any loss of efficiency
EFFECTIVE PITCH
 Actual amount a propeller moves forward in one revolution
SLIP
 Difference between geometric pitch and effective pitch

TRACTOR PROPELLER
 Mounted on the front of an engine and pull an aircraft through
the air
PUSHER TYPE PROPELLER
 Mounted on the aft end of an aircraft and push an airplane
through the air

FIXED PITCH PROPELLER

 The blade angle is fixed and cannot be easily changed
 Climb Propeller
o Provides the best performance for takeoff and climb
 Cruise Propeller
o Designed to be efficient at cruising speed and high altitude
 Standard Propeller
o Compromise between a climb propeller and cruise
propeller
 Test Club Propeller
o Used to test and break in reciprocating engines
GROUND-ADJUSTABLE PROPELLER
 Constructed in a way that allows the blade angle to be changed
on the ground

CONTROLLABLE PITCH PROPELLER

 The blade angle may be changed while the propeller is rotating

TWO POSITION PROPELLER

 Has two positions; low pitch and high pitch
 Low Pitch Setting was used during takeoff and climb so the
engine would turn at its maximum rpm and develop its full rated
horsepower
 High Pitch Setting was used during the cruise phase of flight to
permit more efficient high speed flight while increasing fuel
economy

MULTIPLE POSITION PROPELLER

 Allow the operator to select any blade angle between the high
and low pitch stops

CONSTANT SPEED PROPELLER

 Unique in that once a pilot selects an operating rpm, the
propeller blades automatically adjust to maintain the selected
rpm
FEATHERING PROPELLER
 Has the ability to rotate the propeller blades so that the leading
edge of each blade is pointed straight forward into the wind
REVERSIBLE PITCH PROPELLER
 Propeller blades can be rotated to a negative angle to produce
reverse thrust
ALPHA RANGE
 When the reversible propeller is operated in the standard,
constant speed mode
BETA RANGE
 When the blades are rotated so they produce zero or negative
thrust
 Divide into two ranges; a Beta for Taxi Range and a Beta Plus
Power Range

PROPELELR GOVERNOR
 Device that is responsible for regulating the flow of high-
pressure oil to the propeller

PARTS OF A PROPELLER GOVERNOR

BOOST PUMP
 Installed in the base of a governor and boost the oil pressure to
between 180 and 300 psi depending on the system requirements
PILOT VALVE
 Valve that is responsible for routing oil into and out of the
propeller hub
FLYWEIGHT ASSEMBLY
 Portion of a governor that senses engine speed
SPEEDER RING
 Adjust the amount of pressure acting on the flyweight and pilot
valve
PROPELLER CONSTRUCTION
WOOD
 Hardwoods such as birch, maple, and several possess the
flexibility and strength required for a propeller used on low
horsepower engines of small aircraft
 Constructed of a minimum of five layers of wood that is kiln-
dried and laminated together with waterproof resin glue
 Once the layers of wood are laminated together, they form what
is called a Propeller Blank
ALUMINUM ALLOY
 Aluminum is more desirable than wood because it allows
thinner, more efficient airfoils to be constructed without
sacrificing structural strength
STEEL
 Because it is heavy, steel blades are normally hollow consisting
of steel sheets attached to a rib structure
  The hollow area is then filled with a foam material to help
absorb vibration and maintain a rigid structure
COMPOSITE
 Some advantages of composite propellers include the fact that
they are lightweight and extremely durable
AUXILIARY PROPELLER SYSTEMS
SYNCHRONIZATION SYSTEMS
 One way to reduce the amount of noise and vibration produced
is to match, or synchronize the rpm settings on the engines
SYNCHROPHASING SYSTEMS
 Are a refinement of propeller synchronization systems in that
they allow a pilot to control angular difference in the plane of
rotation between the propeller blades

PHASE ANGLE
 Angular difference in the plane of rotation between the
propeller blades
PROPELLER ICE CONTROL SYSTEM
 Anti-Icing
 De-Icing Systems

AUTOFEATHERING SYSTEM
 Used normally only during takeoff, approach, and landing
 It is used to feather the propeller automatically if power is lost
from either engine