Propellers For Power Model Airplanes

Pete Soule

Abstract

A description of the aerodynamics of small aircraft propellers. Control line aircraft are used as an example for calculation purposes. The aim of the article is to provide some first estimates of good propeller geometry and corrct some misconceptions the author feels have been propagated via the model aviation press. The propeller motion through the air is considered as well as the effect of inflow, blade element Mach number on the blade angle distribution or pitch distribution. The effect of propeller diameter on performance are also considered. Some references are provided for a more detailed treatment.

Contents

   1 Introduction

   2 Propeller Motion

   3 Inflow

   4 Efficiency

   4 Mach Number

   4 under const