Hello!
I was wondering why some propeller airplanes have 2, 3, 4 or more prop blades. I've seen, for example, C210's
with 3 and
with 4 blades, this last one looks like a modification the owner did, and I don't know if it has something to do, but I have seen this mods more often in european planes. On the King Air 90 as well, seen them with
3, 4,
or even 5 blades. Why is this?
My thoughts:
More blades mean more drag, but the surface to move air is greater, so you'll need less speed to move the same amount of air as with a prob with less blades, so... is it the same thing in the end? also, more blades are more expensive, so what's the advantage on this?
It would be much appreciated if someone could technically explain this.
Thanks a lot!
ludo