You know, I've read a few articles now about propellers breaking on quads. What's up with that? Are propeller breakages unique to quads or do airplanes suffer them also? Are the propellers we are using on our quads just cheaply made? If that's the case maybe I will just get some of those more costly carbon fiber propellers and be done with the matter. I can't imagine any carbon fiber propellers breaking just from flying, crashes excluded.
Here is the thread it came from, seems to be a lot of opinions about blades: http://fpvlab.com/forums/showthread.php?4668-CHANGE-YOUR-PROPS-LIKE-UNDERWEAR!!!&highlight=underwear
It looks like these guys are flying the same blades after a crash and some have even straightened then so it's no wonder they are failing. Still, some carbon fiber blades, of slightly less costly Graupner (http://www.graupner.de/en) blades might be the way to go for a little bit of security.
If you can get them a 3 or even 4 bladed Props vs 2-blade, will help as it will spread around the wing-loading. Yes they are a little less efficient and not by much but giving the added insurance we're looking for ... right. IMO it must be the extra weight we're asking these birds to lift thus the extra wing-loading on the 2 Blades that's busting theses things. AND there's the RPM, what's the MAX rated RPM of the blades, if it's LESS than the MAX Motor RPM this too should be added into the equation ...
Excellent insight w00d! +1 I kept reading the posts and I never considered the cause, only the effect. Wing Loading - DER! If my brain would only wake up now and then... And yes, the fewer the blades, the more efficient the power system will be. But you're absolutely right that the amount is minimal. Plus being a quad, each motor has less demand, individually, than a single rotor (heli).
Aren't counter rotating three and four blade propellerss in the 8-10 inch size even harder to find than two blade counter rotating propellers? Mostly what I've seen are small three and four bladed propellers, mostly three, which are used on those tiny quads.
I all honesty I have the very minimal experience with respects to Airplane Props, hehe last time I bought one was near 25y ago But given the issue it's seemed a logical conclusion. I do know Scale Heli pilots like the multi-blades for this very reason but that is about the extent of my knowledge on the subject ... Just thinking out loud ... So nope, sorry I got nothin else for our Mr Yoda
I wonder if these would be better than my stock GAUI propellers: Left: http://www.v-eastonline.com/products/E%252d-Prop-10%22X5%22%2C-2%22-%2825x12%2C5-cm%29-%22Left%22.html Right: http://www.v-eastonline.com/products/E%252dProp-10%22X5%22%2C-2%22-%2825x12%2C5-cm%29.html
GPS - Tower stocks the GWS three blade props so they are easy to get. I have several 8's and 9's for both directions. I have not seen a 4 blade counter rotating, but then I have never looked for them either. I bought a selection of 3's to try on the ELEV-8, but didn't use them because I was given a bunch of 10-4.7's with the kit. I gave a set of 3's to Rick and he used them on his tricopter just fine. Was sure looking for you at Redwood today. I really wanted to see the new quad setup. ...Tiger
Hi Tiger - I went to the field but first I went to meet another member to give him a part for his crawler. By then it had started raining. I got to the field at 11:40 and nobody was flying anymore, there were just a few folks left sitting in their vans chatting so I didn't stay. I had my quad and HD video camera with me and I was hoping to get some aerial video of the guys flying. Has it been 40 days and 40 nights yet? Sure seems like.
