I would be grateful if someone could clarify some terminology used with propellers. I have found some conflicting descriptions. All the references that I have found concur that the flat side of the propeller (facing the engine) is the “Blade face” and the cambered section (facing the airflow in flight) is the “Blade back”
My problem is that some references talk about a “pressure surface” being the high pressure area acting on the “blade face” – and referred in 2 cases as the “thrust surface” Not one of these referred to it as the “thrust face”.
Other references talk about the “thrust face” as being the cambered surface of the blade, unfortunately these references did not mention anything about the “flat side”
Is this just an interpretation problem “pressure surface” and “thrust surface” as compared to the “thrust face” or is the “blade face” (flat side) called the “pressure surface / thrust surface” and the “blade back” (cambered side) called the “thrust face”
If anyone can help me I would be most grateful if you give me an authoritative reference. I have even contacted four propeller manufacturers with negative results.
