Why do airplane propellers have 3 blades?
A 2-blade propeller produces two pressure pulses per revolution, whereas a 3-blade propeller will produce three smaller pulses per revolution for the same amount of total thrust. As a result, the 3-blade prop will be inherently smoother and therefore quieter.
Why are airplane props so expensive?
The older variants of these planes along with being CS props are subject to an AD that requires 100 hour eddy current inspections. This makes these props more expensive to maintain than even their non AD counterparts. As mentioned the CS props can be more expensive simply because they have moving parts.
Why were B-24 bombers not painted in WW2?
A B-24 “Liberator” of the 15th Air Force releases its bombs on the railyards at Muhldorf, Germany on March 19, 1945. The decision to not paint aircraft also sent a powerful message that air superiority had been established. U.S. Air Force photo
Why did the Luftwaffe stop painting their planes yellow?
Early in the war Luftwaffe fighters were identified by the yellow engine cowlings, wingtips and tails. As the Germans began to lose air superiority they began to minimize the amount of yellow painting. Later only the undersides of the engine cowling would be painted yellow, or not at all.
Why are the Luftwaffe Bf109’s called Emils?
The painting above is typical of how Luftwaffe aircraft were painted in the early years of the war. The aircraft shown are Bf-109Es, or Emils (pronounced AY-MIL). The “S” in the shield was the emblem for this Geschwader which was known as “Schlageter”. The nickname is derived from the name of a martyred German patriot.
Why don’t Air Force aircraft get painted?
AAF aircraft paint schemes were the responsibility of Materiel Command, based at Wright Field (now Wright-Patterson Air Force Base ). It raised the notion of not painting AAF aircraft in November 1942 based on a study by the RAF that noted speed gains of six to eight miles an hour on an airplane with polished surfaces.