Flight Training - August 2024 - 36
P
36
Propellers are beautifully elegant pieces of engineering.
The camber, twist, length, and material combine to
form a powerful mass that provides lift in the direction
of flight, pulling the airplane through the air. It's also a
design of compromise.
A fixed-pitch propeller like those on most training airplanes is a solid
piece of metal. It is optimized for cruising speed, climb performance, or a
mix of the two, depending on the needs of the owner. A controllable-pitch or
constant-speed propeller overcomes those limitations by altering the pitch
of the blades to match the flight scenario, giving power during the climb and
speed or efficiency in cruise.
Constant-speed propellers may be heavier and more mechanically
complex, but those trade-offs are well worth it for most airplane owners. We
say an airplane has a constant-speed propeller (singular), but it's an entire
system consisting of a central hub called surrounded by individual propeller
blades. Most systems have two blades, but it's not uncommon to find three in
general aviation airplanes, and four or more in turboprops.
We call the props constant speed because, well, they maintain a constant
speed. In this case, rotation speed, or rpm. Unlike a fixed-pitch prop, which
will wind up as you descend, and spool down as you climb, a constant-speed
prop will be rock solid regardless of the airplane's pitch attitude.
It does this with the ingenious governor system. The governor is attached
to the aircraft's crankshaft, which is essentially a spinning piece of metal
attached via rods to the engine's pistons. Flyweights inside the hub move
inward as the rpm slows down, and out as it speeds up. The flyweights are
held in their respective position by a spring attached to the propeller control
in the cockpit. Moving the control forward creates more tension on the
spring, pushing the flyweights out and increasing the rpm.
Engine oil is continually pumped into the system, which puts pressure
on the flyweight spring. The oil is also sent to a spring on the back of the
propeller. When the airplane descends and the propeller angle of attack
decreases, the tendency is for rpm to increase. But as soon as that happens,
the flyweights sense the difference, and through a check valve, the oil
pressure at the propeller spring changes tension, adjusting the twist of the
blades. The change in blade pitch slows down the rotation, and the system is
in equilibrium again.
FLIGHT TRAINING AUGUST 2024
Flight Training - August 2024
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - August 2024
Contents
Flight Training - August 2024 - Intro
Flight Training - August 2024 - Cover1
Flight Training - August 2024 - Cover2
Flight Training - August 2024 - Contents
Flight Training - August 2024 - 2
Flight Training - August 2024 - 3
Flight Training - August 2024 - 4
Flight Training - August 2024 - 5
Flight Training - August 2024 - 6
Flight Training - August 2024 - 7
Flight Training - August 2024 - 8
Flight Training - August 2024 - 9
Flight Training - August 2024 - 10
Flight Training - August 2024 - 11
Flight Training - August 2024 - 12
Flight Training - August 2024 - 13
Flight Training - August 2024 - 14
Flight Training - August 2024 - 15
Flight Training - August 2024 - 16
Flight Training - August 2024 - 17
Flight Training - August 2024 - 18
Flight Training - August 2024 - 19
Flight Training - August 2024 - 20
Flight Training - August 2024 - 21
Flight Training - August 2024 - 22
Flight Training - August 2024 - 23
Flight Training - August 2024 - 24
Flight Training - August 2024 - 25
Flight Training - August 2024 - 26
Flight Training - August 2024 - 27
Flight Training - August 2024 - 28
Flight Training - August 2024 - 29
Flight Training - August 2024 - 30
Flight Training - August 2024 - 31
Flight Training - August 2024 - 32
Flight Training - August 2024 - 33
Flight Training - August 2024 - 34
Flight Training - August 2024 - 35
Flight Training - August 2024 - 36
Flight Training - August 2024 - 37
Flight Training - August 2024 - 38
Flight Training - August 2024 - 39
Flight Training - August 2024 - 40
Flight Training - August 2024 - 41
Flight Training - August 2024 - 42
Flight Training - August 2024 - 43
Flight Training - August 2024 - 44
Flight Training - August 2024 - 45
Flight Training - August 2024 - 46
Flight Training - August 2024 - 47
Flight Training - August 2024 - 48
Flight Training - August 2024 - 49
Flight Training - August 2024 - 50
Flight Training - August 2024 - 51
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Flight Training - August 2024 - 53
Flight Training - August 2024 - 54
Flight Training - August 2024 - 55
Flight Training - August 2024 - 56
Flight Training - August 2024 - Cover3
Flight Training - August 2024 - Cover4
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