Wooden Propeller Design
If you are creating a propeller for acual load bearing use you will need a hard wood like maple.
Wooden propeller design. The british still occasionally refer to the propeller as the airscrew a term that accurately reflects the basic design and function of the propeller which dates back as far as 1493 when leonardo davinci proposed the concept of a helical screw to power a machine vertically into the air. The propellers designed are more efficient than turbo fans and their cruising speed mach 0 7 0 85 is suitable for airliners but the noise generated is tremendous see the antonov an 70 and tupolev tu 95 for examples of such a design. If possible try to locate a design pattern for a propeller that will suit your needs. 58 basic propeller diameter in inches.
Propellers are usually constructed of wood aluminum alloy or a combination of composites and wood. Design materials and manufacturing. You will need to choose your wood. Sensenich wood aircraft propeller model designations.
From start to finish it took us about 3 months working off and on. This propeller is made of hard maple. Forces acting on a propeller. W wood propeller.
I m thinking about using locally sourced red oak and ash. In the early days of aviation mahogany most likely a carry over from the furniture industry and. S blade design. While it was not implemented until the 19th century the propeller uses that principle to provide.
You will need lots of clamps. For a layered look like the prop above chose wood with different shades. L propeller rotation if left hand if right hand no designation 62 geometric pitch in inches. You must glue them together with no gaps.
You then cut your wood into thin boards and glue them together like in the picture. This site is committed to the exchange of information about wood aircraft propellers in general with emphasis on wwi and earlier antique propellers. Forces acting on the blades of an aircraft propeller include the following. You can search for designs online or try checking out a book at the local library.
Or the design won t fit on four boards. W c 58 s k l 62 g. This is to conserve wood and save time cutting away the unwanted wood hogging. K hub drilling.
Search for a design pattern. Make sure the boards are a minimum of 8 in. This is a wooden propeller i made and mounted to the wall in my home office why i like airplanes especially vintage and have always wanted a wooden propeller to have as a piece of decor so just for fun i decided to make my own from scratch and i. Wooden display propellers have rapidly become the most collectible item of aviation memorabilia.
C composite fabric must be applied. You will need to know the engine power prop diameter and rpm s and see if you can find plans for a wooden propeller that is ideal for your specs. This propeller was completely designed and handcrafted by mark grabwolski and michael duffy.