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Keep the propeller fixed or let it turn?
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Peter Aitken
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"Mike G" wrote in message
ews.com...
In article ,
says...
On Mon, 06 Jun 2005 08:01:55 -0400, Gogarty said:
A freewheeling propeller creates more drag than a locked on.. Just
consider a helicopter. Engine out and rotors freewheeling, the aircraft
will go down safely. Rotors locked and it drops like a stone.
Bad analogy. In a helicopter when the rotors are freewheeling after the
engine dies they're still rotating in a direction that generates lift.
I just have to ask. In what way is it a bad analogy?
It's a bad analogy because a prop and a helicopter blade operate on
different principles. A prop is simply a screw whereas a helicopter blade is
an airfoil. When it rotates it generates lift in the same way that an
airplane's wing does. THis is not the case with a prop.
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Peter Aitken
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