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How a Piper
Seminole
Constant Speed
Propeller Works
By Swayne Martin | 03/03/2022 | Previous
| Next
UND
Unlike single-engine aircraft, the propellers
on the multi-engine Piper Seminole are
designed to fail in a feathered position.
Here's how they work.
:
Review: Why Is Propeller Control
So Important?
What's that blue lever next to the throttle?
It's the propeller control, and when you fly
a plane with a constant speed propeller, it
gives you the ability to select the prop and
engine speed you want for any situation.
But what's the benefit, and how does it all Freezing Rain: How It Forms
Article | Boldmethod | 12/30/2023
work?
Constant speed propellers work by
varying the pitch of the propeller blades.
As the blade angle is increased, it
produces more lift (thrust). At the same
time, more force (torque) is required to
spin the prop, slowing the engine down.
The opposite is true when the blade angle
is decreased: the torque required is 6 Times You Should Declare An
Emergency With ATC
decreased, and the engine speeds up.
List | Boldmethod | 12/30/2023
In most cases, you take off and land with
the prop control full forward, which means
your propeller is in the flat, low pitch/high
RPM setting. Having your prop in that
position gives you a lot of takeoff power.
But once you get off the ground and
closer to your cruise altitude, you'll want
to start pulling the prop lever back for a
Should You Reduce Flaps To Handle a
more efficient cruise power setting.
Strong Crosswind?
Video | Boldmethod | 12/30/2023
:
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How The Prop It Works In A Piper
Seminole How To Immediately Improve Your
Takeoffs and Landings
Like most constant speed propellers,
Article | Boldmethod | 11/13/2017
blade pitch is controlled by oil pressure,
aerodynamic twisting, counterweights,
spring force, and a nitrogen charge.
HOWEVER, unlike single-engine constant
speed props, in the PA-44 Seminole, oil
pressure drives the propellers toward High
RPM (unfeathered). The nitrogen charge
and spring drive the propeller toward Low
Quiz: 6 Questions To See How Much
RPM (feathered). While our graphics and
You Know About Aerodynamics
notes are specific to the Piper PA-44 Quiz | Boldmethod | 12/29/2023
Seminole, most multi-engine pistons work
the exact same way.
Takeoff And Landing
Low pitch/high RPM: Higher Oil
Pressure, Aerodynamic Twisting
High pitch/low RPM: Lower Oil
Pressure, Spring Force, Nitrogen (N2)
Charge, and Counter Weights
:
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Cruise Flight
Adjusting your propeller for cruise flight
means less drag and faster more efficient
cruise legs, but what is actually happening
when you pull the prop lever back?
When you pull the lever back mechanical
linkages turn the threaded shaft, reducing
the speeder spring's tension-- now that
the spring is under less tension the
flyweights are able to swing out from the
rotational force of the engine. As the
flyweights swing out this moves the pilot
valve up, allowing oil to escape the hub.
As the oil leaves the hub the piston in the
hub moves forward allowing the blade's
pitch to increase causing your RPMs to
drop.
As your RPMs drop the centrifugal force
on the flyweights reduces meaning the
flyweights swing into equilibrium (straight
up and down). When the flyweights reach
:
equilibrium the pilot valve shuts. Here's an
animation of what the system looks like in
action:
Boldmethod
Avoiding Asymmetric Drag In
Multi-Engine Airplanes
If you're forced to fly single-engine in a
multi-engine airplane, one of your primary
goals is to preserve performance. While
you lose 50% of your power during an
engine failure in a twin, you lose
roughly 80% of your performance.
This is primarily because the failed engine,
which was once producing thrust, is now
contrbuting a large amount of drag.
Compared to a feathered propeller, a
windmilling propeller creates more
asymmetric drag. This is a problem in
multi-engine airplanes, where Vmc is a
concern during single-engine operations.
If the propeller is windmilling (flat-facing
the wind), the rudder must overcome two
:
greater opponents: the operating engine's
thrust and the windmilling propeller's
drag. Due to the increased drag from a
windmilling propeller, rudder
effectiveness decreases, and your
Vmc increases. When a propeller
blade angle is moved towards feather,
Vmc decreases and performance
increases, that's why multi-engine
constant speed propellers are designed
differently.
Feathering: High Pitch / Low
RPM
Each propeller is controlled by a blue prop
lever in the cockpit. If you move the prop
control fully aft through the low RPM
detent into the feather position, oil leaves
the propeller and is stored in an
accumulator. The spring force and
counterweights keep the propeller in the
feathered position.
Less oil pressure = Lower RPM
:
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Unfeathering: Low Pitch / High
RPM
Unfeathering is accomplished by moving
the prop control forward. This releases oil
accumulated under pressure into the
propeller hub and moves the propeller out
of the feathered position. Oil pressure and
aerodynamic twisting force keep the
propeller in the unfeathered position in this
case.
More oil pressure = Higher RPM
Boldmethod
:
What Else Do You Want To
Learn?
We hope this article helped simplify a
relatively complex topic. What else do you
want to learn about systems or multi-
engine performance? Tell us in the
comments below.
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Joseph Brewer
Like to learn more on
short and soft field
landings commercial
maneuvers
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Swayne Martin
Swayne is an editor at Boldmethod, certified flight instructor, and a
First Officer on the Boeing 757/767 for a Major US Carrier. He
graduated as an aviation major from the University of North Dakota
in 2018, holds a PIC Type Rating for Cessna Citation Jets (CE-
525), is a former pilot for Mokulele Airlines, and flew Embraer 145s
at the beginning of his airline career. Swayne is an author of
articles, quizzes and lists on Boldmethod every week. You can reach Swayne at
[email protected], and follow his flying adventures on his YouTube Channel.
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