Prop engine aircraft question?

Question

what does iy mean when a pilot has to, feather the engine or prop blades, thanks

Answer 1

ok well this applies to planes with the ability to change the angle of the prop. feathering it means, in the event the engine goes out

the props angle are too much against the relative wind it will cause too much drag, to avoid this the angle of the prop is changed into the wind to reduce drag and increase the best rate of glide.

Answer 2

The propeller is turned (that is, pitch is adjusted) to offer the least resistance to the air flow. This can only be done with a variable-pitch prop that can be adjusted in flight. Most light, 4 seat or less, general aviation airplanes have fixed-pitch props, or variable-pitch props that can only be adjusted on the ground when the engine is not running.

Answer 3

Most of the answers are correct in theory but not application.  Some Aircraft will feather an engine for fuel conservation.  (Read on before clicking the thums down)

The P2V-5F had J-34 Jet engines slung under the wing, to assist the two propeller engines.  Low altitude's when performance was required we had, "two burning, two turning". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-2_Neptune

At high altitude cruise we would shut down and feather one of the R3350's to conserve fuel.  One had to remain on line due to accessory and utility power requirements.

Answer 4

Feathering the prop is what is done in the event of an engine malfunction. It turns the prop parallel to the oncoming wind to cause minimal drag on that side of the aircraft and keep the bad engine from turning over.

Answer 5

Feathering is usually done when there has been an engine failure in flight. It is done by turning the prop blades at right angles to the line of flight to reduce drag and to stop the engine from windmilling which may cause more damage.

Edit:- Beaugrands last 3 lines are utter drivel..

Edit:- Caretaker, there are exceptions to every rule and I've marked you down for being a smartypants..Top contributor Huh? Ah, Wiki again!!!

Answer 6

feathering the prop means the pilot adjusts the pitch of the prop so that it slices through the air easily to eliminate drag. this only applies to adjustable pitch propellers.

Answer 7

Answer one is correct.  Another way of looking at it from a layman's term is that the prop stops rotating.  When the engine is off,  It actually uses much less drag to have the propeller stopped than it does to force the wind to turn it around.

Feathering a prop is only an option on multi-engine aircraft.  It allows you to glide / power the aircraft much more efficiently with the other engine.

Answer 8

Feathering the prop blades is used in an engine failure. It works like this: If you have an engine failure, the prop blades are still in a position in which they let the propeller turn. This creates a very large amount of drag, which on a single engine aircraft results in a loss of gliding distance. You want a lot of gliding distance to make it to the good field to land on. If you turn the blades facing in the wind the propeller will stop turning, thus decreasing the drag. On a multiple engine aircraft you want to feather the prop to decrease drag on that side, so you are still able to fly the plan on the engine(s) remaining. Also, mostly when landing, flying the plane with an engine out, and not feathered can make the plane tip over to the side with the malfunctioning engine. This will make you dive, which is not very safe close to the ground. Feathering greatly reduces this risk

Answer 9

Feathering the prop is turning the blades edge-on to the oncoming airflow to minimise drag; done in the event of an engine failure, just as if the engine failed on your car you'd knock it into neutral or declutch so you can coast to a stop.  Without feathering the drag can be so enormous that the aircraft will have great difficulty in keeping flying.