Hostname: page-component-6766d58669-kl59c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-05-21T09:40:20.374Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Practical Airscrew Performance Calculations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2016

F. M. Thomas ,
F. W. Caldwell  and
T. B. Rhines
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

To the practical designer the cumulative knowledge on airscrews seems at present to be in an unsatisfactory state of disorder. He wants to get reasonably accurate estimates reasonably quickly, without taking the time to become a specialist.

Several airscrew theories exist, but they either give wrong answers or take too long to work out, or both.

The great mass of test data that have been accumulated is so confused in a tangle of variables that the practical designer is often forced to select a test report almost at random and use it as if it applied to his particular problem; usually it does not and the calculation is seriously in error.

The present study attempts to clarify airscrew practical knowledge by coordinating data in a form suitable for use in performance calculations. It embraces the whole body of test data, but places particular reliance upon large scale wind tunnel results.

The arrangement of the analysis is such as to permit quick estimates to be made, the degree of accuracy obtained being a function of the amount of time available to the calculator. It is also designed to be as foolproof as possible so that it may be readily applied by inexperienced calculators.

It is especially adapted to calculations of the performance of aluminium alloy variable pitch airscrews.

One of the points brought out in the paper is the need for more data on certain subjects. They are specifically designated, and suggestions are made for carrying out research.

Information

Type
Proceedings
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 42 , Issue 325 , January 1938 , pp. 1 - 86
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 1938

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Bibliography

1. N.A.C.A. Report No. 300. The Twenty-foot Propeller Research Tunnel of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, by Weick, F. E. and Wood, D. H.. (1928)Google Scholar
2. N.A.C.A. Report No. 319. Aerodynamic Characteristics of Twenty-four Aerofoils at High Speeds, by Briggs, L. J. and Dryden, H. L.. (1929)Google Scholar
3. N.A.C.A. Report No. 326. Tests of Five Metal Model Propellers with Various Pitch Distributions in a Free Wind Stream and in Combination with a Model VE-7 Fuselage, by Lesley, E. P. and Reid, E. G.. (1929)Google Scholar
4. N.A.C.A. Report No. 338. The Effect of Reduction Gearing on Propeller-Body Interference as shown by Full-Scale Wind Tunnel Tests, by Weick, F. E.. (1929)Google Scholar
5. N.A.C.A. Report No. 339. Full-Scale Wind Tunnel Tests with a Series of Propellers of Different Diameters on a Single Fuselage, by Weick, F. E.. (1929)Google Scholar
6. N.A.C.A. Report No. 350. Working Charts for the Selection of Aluminium Alloy Propellers of a Standard Form to Operate with Various Aircraft Engines and Bodies, by Weick, F. E.. (1929)Google Scholar
7. N.A.C.A. Report No. 351. Full-Scale Wind Tunnel Tests of a Propeller with the Diameter changed by Cutting Off the Blade Tips, by Wood, D. H.. (1929)Google Scholar
8. N.A.C.A. Report No. 375. Full-Scale Tests of Metal Propellers at High Tip Speeds, by Wood, D. H.. (1930)Google Scholar
9. N.A.C.A. Report No. 378. Comparison of Full-Scale Propellers having Raf-6 and Clark-Y Aerofoil Sections, by Freeman, H. B.. (1930)Google Scholar
10. N.A.C.A. Report No. 389. The Effect of Small Angles of Yaw and Pitch on the Characteristics of Aeroplane Propellers, by Freeman, H. B.. (1931)Google Scholar
11. N.A.C.A. Report No. 415. Tests of Nacelle Propeller Combinations in Various Positions with Reference to Wings. Part I—Thick Wing, N.A.C.A. Cowled Nacelle, Tractor Propeller, by Wood, D. H.. (1932)Google Scholar
12. N.A.C.A. Report No. 436. Tests of Nacelle Propeller Combinations in Various Positions with Reference to Wings. Part II—Thick Wing, Various Radial, Engine Cowlings, Tractor Propeller, by Wood, D. H.. (1932)Google Scholar
13. N.A.C.A. Report No. 447. Static Thrust of Aeroplane Propellers, by Diehl, W. S.. (1932)Google Scholar
14. N.A.C.A. Report No. 450. The Calculation of Take-Off Run, by Diehl, W. S.. (1932)Google Scholar
15. N.A.C.A. Report No. 462. Tests of Nacelle Propeller Combinations in Various Positions with Reference; to Wings. Part III—Clark-Y Wing, Various Radial, Engine Cowlings, Tractor Propeller, by Wood, D. H.. (1933)Google Scholar
16. N.A.C.A. Report No. 464. Negative Thrust and Torque Characteristics of an Adjustable Pitch Metal Propeller, by Hartman, E. P.. (1933)Google Scholar
17. N.A.C.A. Report No. 481. Working Charts for the Determination of Propeller Thrust at Various Air Speeds, by Hartman, E. P.. (1934)Google Scholar
18. N.A.C.A. Report No. 505. Tests of Nacelle Propeller Combinations in Various Positions with Reference to Wings. Part IV—Thick Wing, Various Radial, Engine Cowlings, Tandem Propellers, by McHugh, J. G.. (1934)Google Scholar
19. N.A.C.A. Report No. 506. Tests of Nacelle Propeller Combinations in Various Positions with Reference to Wings. Part V—Clark-Y Biplane Cellule, N.A.C.A. Cowled Nacelle, Tractor Propeller, by Valentine, E. F.. (1934)Google Scholar
20. N.A.C.A. Report No. 564. Tests of a Wing Nacelle Propeller Combination at several Pitch Settings up to 42°, by Windier, R.. (1936)Google Scholar
21. N.A.C.A. Report No. 569. Wing Nacelle Propeller Interference for Wings of Various Spans. Force and Pressure Distribution Tests, by R. G. Robinson and Herrnstein, W. H. Jr. (1936)Google Scholar
21A N.A.C.A. Report No. 599. Flight Tests of the Drag and Torque of the Propeller, in Terminal Velocity Nose Dives, by Rhode, A. V. and Pearson, H. A.. (1937)Google Scholar
22. N.A.C.A. Technical Note No. 244. Navy Propeller Section Characteristics as used in Propeller Design, by Weick, F. E.. (1926)Google Scholar
23. N.A.C.A. Technical Note No. 299. The Efiect of Fillets between Wings and Fuselage on the Drag and Propulsive Efficiency of an Aeroplane, by Gough, M. N.. (1928)Google Scholar
24. N.A.C.A. Technical Note No. 322. The Efiect of the Wings of Single Engine Aeroplanes on Propulsive Efficiency as shown by Full-Scale Wind Tunnel Tests, by Weick, F. E. and Wood, D. H.. (1929)Google Scholar
25. N.A.C.A. Technical Note No. 446. Estimation of the Variation of Thrust Horse-power with Air Speed, by Ober, S.. (1933); and Appendix to N.A.C.A. Technical Note No. 446. Calculation of Horse-power Available, by Ober, S.. (1934)Google Scholar
26. N.A.C.A. Technical Memorandum No. 703. Take-Off and Propeller Thrust, by Schrenk, M.. (1933)Google Scholar
27. A.R.C.R. and M. No. 829. Experiments with a Family of Airscrews, including the Effect of Tractor and Pusher Bodies. Part I—Experiments with the Family of Airscrews Mounted in Front of a Small Body, by Fage, A., Lock, C. N. H., Howard, R. G. and Bateman, H.. (1922)Google Scholar
28. A.R.C.R. and M. No. 830. Experiments with a Family of Airscrews, including Effect of Tractor and Pusher Bodies. Part II—Experiments on Airscrews with Tractor and Pusher Bodies, by Fage, A., Lock, C. N. H., Bateman, H. and Williams, D. H.. (1922)Google Scholar
29. A.R.C.R. and M. No. 1339. Full-Scale Experiments on High Tip Speed Airscrews. The Effect of Thickness of Section on Airscrew Performance, by Jennings, W. G. and Ormerod, A.. (1931)Google Scholar
30. A.R.C.R. and M. No. 1378. Theory of Airscrew Body Interference, by Lock, C. N. H.. (1930)Google Scholar
31. A.R.C.R. and M. No. 1445. Interference between Bodies and Airscrews, by Lock, C. N. H. and Bateman, H.. (1932)Google Scholar
32. A.R.C.R. and M. No. 1673. Wind Tunnel Tests of High Pitch Airscrews, Part I, by Lock, C. N. H., Bateman, H. and Nixon, H. L. (October, 1934)Google Scholar
33. A.R.C.R. and M. No. 1675. A Graphical Method of Calculating the Performance of an Airscrew, by Lock, C. N. H.. (October, 1934)Google Scholar
34. A.R.C.R. and M. No. 1729. Wind Tunnel Tests of High Pitch Airscrews. Part II—Variations of Blade Width and Blade Section, by Lock, C. N. H. and Bateman, H.. (October, 1935)Google Scholar
35. A.R.C.R. and M. No. 1736. Wind Tunnel Tests to Determine the Efficiency of an Airscrew Working in Front of a Thick Section Wing, by Bottle, D. W. and Collen, C.. (March, 1936)Google Scholar
36. A.R.C.R. and M. No. 1771. Tests of Four Airscrew Sections in the Compressed Air Tunnel, by Williams, D. H., Brown, A. F. and Smyth, E.. (November, 1936)Google Scholar
37. Flight, Vol. XXV, No. 13. The Propulsive Efficiency of an Airscrew, by Stafford, R. S.. (March 30, 1933)Google Scholar
38. Aircraft Engineering, Vol. VIII, No. 87. Variable Pitch Airscrew Performance, by Sayers, W. H. (May, 1936)Google Scholar
39. S.A.E. Journal, Vol. 25, No. 6. Variable Pitch Propellers, by Caldwell, F. W.. (December, 1929)Google Scholar
40. S.A.E, Journal, Vol. 32, No. 4. Correlation of Propeller and Engine Power with Supercharging, by Caldwell, F. W. and Thomas, F. M.. (April, 1933)Google Scholar
41. Journal of the Aeronautical Sciences, Vol. 3, No. 7. Characteristics of Braked, Locked and Free-wheeling Two and Three-Bladed Propellers, by Malina, F. J. and Jenney, W. W.. (May, 1936)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
42. Engineering Aerodynamics, by Diehl, W. S. (Second Edition). The Ronald Press Co. (1936)Google Scholar
43. Aircraft Propeller Design, by Weick, F. E.. Mcgraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. (1930)Google Scholar
44. Aeroplane Design—Performance, by Warner, E. P. (Second Edition). Mcgraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. (1936)Google Scholar

Publications Received Since the Above was Printed

45. N.A.C.A. Report No. 686. Airfoil Section Characteristics as Affected by Variations of the Reynolds Number, by Jacobs, E. N. and Sherman, A..Google Scholar
46. N.A.C.A. Report No. 594. Characteristics of Six Propellers, including the High-Speed Range, by Theodorsen, T., Brevoort, M. J. and Stickle, G. W..Google Scholar
47. N.A.C.A. Report No. 597. Air Propellers in Yaw, by Lesley, E. P., Worley, G. F. and Moy, Stanley.Google Scholar
48. N.A.C.A. Technical Note No. 605. Noise from Propellers with Symmetrical Sections at Zero Blade Angle, by Deming, A. F..Google Scholar
49. Journal of the Aeronautical Sciences, Vol. 5, No. 1. Some Full-Scale Static Propeller Characteristics, by Enos, Louis H., Field, Wright. (November, 1937)CrossRefGoogle Scholar