Tag: jack

Calm winds at the airport and clear skies don’t necessarily mean it’s a good day to go flying!

Building airplanes involves a lot of stuff, as we all have noticed by now....

The author discusses the theory and effect of constant-speed propellers on piston-engine airplane performance, and compares fixed-pitch versus constant-speed props, effect on thrust HP and propulsion, the comprises involved in choosing a prop, how props perform in various conditions and phases of flight, how variable-pitch props work, and why a constant-speed prop is the best choice for high-performance aircraft.

Columnist Roy Beisswenger takes a look at what’s currently available in the foot-launched and wheeled variety of canopy or soft-wing aircraft.