The Purpose of the Aircraft Propeller

While piston-powered aircraft with propellers have been around since the first Wright brothers flight, countless aircraft still rely on such systems to this day. In their most basic form, propellers are a type of apparatus that create a propulsive force as they spin, pulling themselves in a given direction. While similar in action to a screw, multiple propeller blades may be situated on a single hub that is spun with the use of a motor. To help you better understand how such assemblies have paved the way for powered flight, we will discuss their functionality and designs.

While the Wright brothers are attributed to being the first to take to the skies with a powered airplane, propellers themselves have been around for a long time. The first version of the propeller was created in 200 BC by Greek scientist Archimedes, and many early variations were used to easily lift water from wells. During Leonardo da Vinci’s research in the 1400s, he reimagined the propeller screw to be used for flying. This eventually led to the creation of a rotating screw design for marine vessels, later being followed by airships and other vehicle types. Nevertheless, the Wright brothers’ aircraft was the first airplane to feature such components.

As compared to a screw, the Wrights utilized propellers that were shaped closer to an airfoil or wing. As a sort of rotating wing, the propeller blades and propeller shaft would work together to displace air backward for forward thrust, rather than create lift. With further modifications to the blade shape with the addition of a twist, a more consistent angle of attack could be attained. While initial propellers were fixed pitch and constructed from wood, the variable pitch propeller assembly came about in 1929 to allow for pilots to manually adjust blade pitch for both increased performance and fuel efficiency. Constant-speed propellers came about later, those of which alleviated pilots of manual adjustments to provide automatic control for a constant rotational speed. As such, many modern propeller aircraft can achieve high performance and efficiency.

Depending upon the aircraft and when it was made, a 2 blade propeller, 3 blade propeller, or 4 blade propeller assembly may be found. Generally, each of these assemblies utilize the same construction of blades. The leading edge of the blade is the section that cuts through the air, ensuring that air flows across the face and the camber. The blade angle, meanwhile, is between the face of an element and the plane of rotation, and blade angles may vary across the length of the blade for the means of adjusting revolution and angle of attack.

Due to the fact that propellers are placed in the stream of air and create propulsion, they are often faced with various forces and stresses. Forces that act against the propeller shaft and blades include thrust, centrifugal force, and torsion. Stresses, on the other hand, include bending, tensile, and torsion stresses. As forces and stresses may cause wear and tear to the propeller assembly, it is important that they are regularly inspected and maintained for safe flight operations.

If you find yourself in need of a propeller bearing, blades, or a shaft for maintenance, Fulfillment 3Sixty is your sourcing solution with our unrivaled inventory and offerings. Take the time to explore our vast offerings at your leisure, and our team is on standby 24/7x365 to aid you throughout the procurement process as necessary. Due to our steadfast dedication to quality control initiatives, we proudly conduct business with AS9120B, ISO 9001:2015, and FAA AC 00-56B certification and accreditation. If you would like to receive a competitive quote on items for your comparisons, fill out and submit an RFQ form as provided on our website and a dedicated account manager will reach out to you in just 15 minutes or less.


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