What is the difference of propellers?

Question

what is the difference between a three prong and four prong propellers

Answer 1

I believe the principle is to reduce slippage in the water.

Comparing apples to apples, switching from one prop to another and keeping all else equal you should get a better hole shot with a four-blade, but you may lose some top end.

The key is to determine what RPM the manufacturer recommends at WOT (sorry, wide-open throttle) and pitch your four-blade to fall in that range. That pitch may or may not be the same as the three-blade.

Answer 2

Jsut because its got 4 prongs does not mean it wil generate more thrust.

You also need to take into account diameter and s***w.

The diameter is obvious.

The s***w is measured  in how far the prop will travel if the blade pitch had no losses. ( i.e. no slip ). It relates to the angle of the blades but measured in distance travelled.

Answer 3

the same as if you were swimming with one arm or two....more blades potentially move more water like little hands or cups....the "pitch" or curvature of the blade greatly increases this or takes away from it...if your blades had no pitch and were all flat and vertical like a saw they would push no water and you would sit there...the curve in the blade directs the flow of water as the blade pushes against the water....