Ray, the most efficient prop is one blade (with a counter balance) because there is no interference from another blade.... 2 blades is realistically the best, but with more Hp, the length of the prop blades (diameter) becomes too great to transfer the Hp to thrust.... so if you cant fit an 80" 2 blader, you fit a 60" 3 blader..... that is why the spitfire went from big 2 blade props, to 3, 4 and 5 bladed props as the engine Hp increased.

A 2 bladed prop gives aircraft a smoother cruise, but not as good climb performance (in general) a 3 blade prop generally gives better climb performance.... 3 and 4 blades are good on a gyro because generally gyros are so draggy, the motor/prop thinks it is climbing when flying s&l and gyros are normally hammering, not cruising at 65-70% throttle like a slippery FW. Often 3,4, or 5 blades on a slippery FW cruising at 200knots at 70% throttle don't feel smooth and often develop a little resonance with high speed and the relative airflow hitting on the multiple blades of the prop... that is why a lot of these planes use a 2 blade.

Because gyros are a relatively slow speed, highish drag machine.... 3 is good, 4 is good.... 2 works.... depends on how much thrust it can make

Good post Muz....

I do not know about others.... however I do not want to have to use a step ladder to get to the seat... so I can have a 7 or 8 ft 2 blade prop, and still have centerline thrust...

Magnificent afternoon flight today from KDED to Umatilla with Larry and Bernice. Just spectacular weather.

Really nice. I wish I lived close by.

Gotta get a winter -pad in FL!!! ...... this Kansas cold ... just sucks 'n blows!!!


Yeah ..... lofty .... very nice!

The third picture looks like you are looking south at Lake Beresford. I am a little over a mile west from the northernmost tip of that lake!!

great pics, looks like a fun flight. I cut down another big tree in the front yard, now got an even better view of the sky..

we never know what will fly over us here. here is what flew over yesterday.

Guess what I got for you biatches!
A new fridge!
It is awesome.
Let it be summer now.
See ya guys tomorrow at the hangar.

That is a very nice refrigerator. Think of all the beer you be able to keep cool in there. Oops root beer im mean

We are gonna have the real stuff in there !!! Deze boyz don't drink crap I tell ya.....

what time will ya be out there? whos flying?

we are all flying 7 am

All right....nice pc. of shop equipment....freeze bearings for ease of installation...cool down hot pcs. of metal.

A place for your thumb after smashing it with a hammer to reduce swelling...

Add some ice cubes to the nitrous........

Hell on a HOT HOT day a good place to hang out in front of the freezer with the door open!!!!



Oh and yeah...it's not a shop fridge without kewl, cool beverages!!!

And a couple of ice cream sandwiches!!!!

I can't ever get Cindi out of bed by then... where ya flying to?

What a gorgeous day to fly??????????
I love Florida.

What happened in the second pic Lofty? Was your wallet too fat and you had to adjust it?

I think I was scratching my ass, or rearranging my package.

where did ya'll fly to, I see Gordon was shoe horned into the back of that Red Gyro,I never can spell the name of those.

sadly Cindi was sick as a dog all day, think she got food posioning at the wendy's in deland. she is doing better today.

we did have a flight of 5 of this guys fly over the house that was pretty cool.

Note the side winder under the wing. bet the must have been at the bombing range. Funny I did not even know there was one near here..lol that would explain all the explosions we heard one night shortly after we moved here.

Bloody heck Tim.... your life is one big airshow You picked a great place to live

it really is, I am right near 2 airports and like I have said I never know what I will see fly over, but I try to keep my camera close.

this place has all 3 of the things I love, aircraft. harleys and Airboats.

I rode on an airboat in 2012 when I came to display my helicopter at sun-n-fun. stayed at a biker buddy house and his buddy had a bad ass 700 h.p. airboat he took Cindi and I for a ride on. now I keep seeing them around here and started Followinga few air boat pages on face book and got hooked.