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Which has more drag in wind-mill, three / four blade vs. two?

2

Will a wind-milling three blade or four blade propeller produce more drag than a two bladed prop?

asked Oct 03 '09 at 01:52

Patrick%20Pohler's gravatar image

Patrick Pohler ♦♦
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One Answer:
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2

I think the best way to answer this question is to refer to the drag equation.

On page 4-6 of the Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (2008) the formula is listed as:

D = .5(Cd * p * (V^2) * S)

Cd = Drag Coefficient

p = Air Density

V^2 = Velocity of the Air squared

S = Surface Area

It is the last one that I want to focus on... surface area. I would suffice to say that the more blades you have (i.e. the more surface area) the higher the drag would be.

Here is an interesting webpage talking about the same thing.

Windmilling Prop Drag - Airliners.net

answered Apr 23 '10 at 00:20

wbeard52's gravatar image

wbeard52
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Wow! That's an excellent answer, I had no expectation that I would get a response to that one in this decade. Thanks wbeard52!

(Apr 23 '10 at 14:18) Patrick Pohler ♦♦ Patrick%20Pohler's gravatar image
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Asked: Oct 03 '09 at 01:52

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Last updated: Apr 23 '10 at 00:20

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