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A History of the Development of
The Variable Pitch Propeller
byPatrick Hassell
RAeS Hamburg 26th April 2012
D. Scholz
Lecture Series of RAeS, VDI, DGLR, HAW Hamburg Download from: http://hamburg.dglr.de
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Negative Blade Angle of Attack (Windmilling)
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Three Fundamental Design Problems:
1) How to retain the separate VP blades
2) How to change pitch and provide the effort to do so
3) How to match the pitch to the flight/power condition
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Supermarine S-6B - Fairey-Reed Propeller
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Experimental Chauviere VP Airscrew c.1913
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Lynam’s Experimental VP airscrew on SE-5a - c.1917
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Lynam’s VP propeller for BE-2c - c.1917Bolted blade root
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Blade Retention by Ball Race
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Blade Actuation by Yoke and Pushrods
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Manual Control System
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SE-5A Manual Control by Worm Gear
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Bristol VP PropellerJupiter engine 1924
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TurbochargedBristol Jupiter III
c.1923
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Bristol Seely Tourer with Jupiter III T
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Bristol VP Propeller1924
Root detail ofLeitner-Watts blade
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Bristol Mechanically Actuated VP Propeller - 1924
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Hele-ShawConstant speed
VP airscrew
1924
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H L “Pop” Milner
Propeller Designer
worked at:
RAE FarnboroughHele-Shaw
Gloster Aircraft Co.Bristol Aeroplane Co.
Rotol Ltd
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Gloster’s Hele-Shaw propeller - 1927
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Boeing 247 of United Airlines -1933
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De Havilland DH.88 Comet Racer - 1934
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ExperimentalUS ArmyPropeller
Wright Fieldc.1925
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Effect of Counterweights
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Caldwell (Hamilton) “Bracket” Prop
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Douglas DC-1 withHamilton Standardbracket propeller
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Frank Caldwell receiving the 1933 Collier Trophy from FDR
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Bristol Type 142 with original propellers - April 1935
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Bristol Bulldog FTB
Mercury engine andHS “bracket” propeller
as for Type 142
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Bristol Blenheim IV with DH bracket propeller 1939
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Rotol Factory at Staverton, Gloucester, 1938(now Messier-Dowty landing gear)
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Vickers Wellesley with Rotol airscrew - Egypt 1938RAF Long Range Development Flight
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Rotol External Cylinder Constant-speed Airscrew
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Rotol 5-bladeExternal Cylinder
Airscrew
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Lockheed YP-381940
Curtiss Electricpropellers
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Rotol / Curtiss Electric Propeller
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Curtiss Electric“Doughnut”
propeller
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Lockheed C-130A with Aeroproducts propellers - 1956
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Bell P-39 Airacobra
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VDM Propeller with external electric drive - 1939
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VDM Propeller pitch change mechanism
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Hamilton Standard “Hydromatic” propeller hub
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Hydromatic cylinder, cams and gear drive
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Spitfire with Rotol 5-blade airscrew - 1944
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Experimental Meteor with R-R B.50 Trent turboprops
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Vickers Viscount R-R Darts with Rotol propellers - 1948
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Tyne Lincoln FTB with DH Hydromatic propeller
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Vickers Vanguard R-R Tynes with DH propellers
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Hamilton 54H60propeller
Lockheed C-130B-HLockheed P-3 Orion
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De Havilland Comet 1 1st Jet Airline Service - May 1952
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McDonnell XF-88B Voodoo - 1953
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Typical Hartzell GA prop on Mitsubishi Mu-2
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Dowty Rotolpropeller on
BAe Jetstream 31c.1982
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Hamilton metal-sparcomposite-shell
propellerc.1982
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Section of Dowty all-composite propeller blade
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Dowty CompositeBlade Root c.1980
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ATR-42 Hamilton Standard part-composite blades 1983
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Dowtycomposite bladed
propeller forSaab 340
1983
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Fokker 50 with Dowty computer-controlled 6-bladers
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Saab 2000 High-speed Turboprop - 1992Dowty 6-blade swept propellers with integrated electronic control
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Dowty 6-bladepropeller for
Lockheed C-130JHercules
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General Electric GE36 UDF “Unducted Fan”on Douglas MD-80 FTB - 1988
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Pratt / Allison 578DX Propfan Demonstrator
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Last Touchdown Filton 26 November 2003
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Rolls-Royce Open Rotor Pusher Concept - 2011
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Airbus A400M Ratier 8-blade propellers
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Next Generation Airliner - circa 20xx ??