hi
I use to instruct, including in such planes as the piper arrow (with constant speed prop).
part of the instruction of course was to demonstrate engine out landings, and the POH indicated selecting the minimum drag position (ie, pulling the prop control aft) for the prop. It makes a big difference and can be felt right away.
Many pilots called it feathering , but it really wasn't, as the prop kept rotating.
The POH glide distance was predicated on pulling the prop control aft (coarse pitch , I screwed up before and marker inbound was right) or slowest rpm.
So, you can SORT OF FEATHER but not fully feather the prop in a constant speed prop plane...it is a bit of semantics. But again, selecting low RPM does give you better glide.
BUT BE CAREFUL as you are only simulating loss of the engine and when you add power it should be in the order of: mixture rich, prop high rpm (forward prop control) and then forward throttle.
Does this make sense to you guys?
Oh, and variable pitch props and constant speed props can be different things so be very careful. I flew one very old bonanza one time that had a prop that could be selected to one of two pitches, but it was not done as constant speed props work...but that's another post
Last edited by glendalegoon; 23rd Jan 2015 at 19:13.