Spinner Question - Aircraft of World War II

JCS · 12-18-2004, 06:09 PM

Anybody know the purpose of those little fan blade-like things on the front of the spinner?

Nonskimmer · 12-18-2004, 06:18 PM

No.

Anyone else?

cheddar cheese · 12-18-2004, 06:44 PM

Pretty decorations

Seriously I dont know either

wmaxt · 12-18-2004, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCS

Anybody know the purpose of those little fan blade-like things on the front of the spinner?

It was an airflow driven electrical generator for cocpit instruments.

JCS · 12-18-2004, 07:21 PM

Ah ok, that one has been bugging me for a while.

the lancaster kicks ass · 12-19-2004, 08:35 AM

good pic..............

cheddar cheese · 12-19-2004, 05:38 PM

Yeah it is, Ive always like the 189

R Pope · 12-20-2004, 09:08 AM

That " fan-like thingie" is part of the variable-pitch mechanism for the propellers. It uses air resistance to control the RPM by changing the pitch of the blades.

the lancaster kicks ass · 12-20-2004, 03:22 PM

ohhh two contrasting answers...............

Nonskimmer · 12-20-2004, 03:33 PM

Oh! Oh! Let's bet on 'em! I'll take R Pope's answer!

cheddar cheese · 12-20-2004, 03:52 PM

Ok, ill take wmaxt's

evangilder · 12-20-2004, 04:19 PM

R pope is correct. It is a funky setup to control to pitch of the blades based on the air passing over the spinner.

From another message board, "the little spinner in the picture above is mounted on a free-turning bearing and is of a known, fixed pitch. When the aircraft is stopped, the little prop on the front is not spinning, and the propeller is in fine pitch. As the airspeed rises, the little prop starts turning and the pitch begins to get more coarse by means of a cam. There is a design speed for the prop and, as long as you don't exceed design speed and power rating, the unit above results in a more-or-less constant speed propeller without the complexity of a pitch control knob in the cockpit."

Kind of a dynamic pitch control mechanism.

Nonskimmer · 12-20-2004, 04:36 PM

Yay, I win! :P

cheddar cheese · 12-20-2004, 05:34 PM

You may have won the battle, but you will not win the war

wmaxt · 12-20-2004, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by R Pope

That " fan-like thingie" is part of the variable-pitch mechanism for the propellers. It uses air resistance to control the RPM by changing the pitch of the blades.

That may be true - for some reason I was thinking about the one on the nose of the 163 rocket plane.

12-18-2004, 07:21 PM	#5
JCS Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Nicholson, PA Posts: 672	Ah ok, that one has been bugging me for a while. __________________

12-19-2004, 08:35 AM	#6
the lancaster kicks ass Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 19,945	good pic.............. __________________ "Reminds me of the time I sank the Tirpitz" comments a Spitfire pilot, "One pass of course, old boy."

12-20-2004, 03:22 PM	#9
the lancaster kicks ass Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 19,945	ohhh two contrasting answers............... __________________ "Reminds me of the time I sank the Tirpitz" comments a Spitfire pilot, "One pass of course, old boy."

12-20-2004, 04:19 PM	#12
evangilder "Shooter" Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA Posts: 14,809	R pope is correct. It is a funky setup to control to pitch of the blades based on the air passing over the spinner. From another message board, "the little spinner in the picture above is mounted on a free-turning bearing and is of a known, fixed pitch. When the aircraft is stopped, the little prop on the front is not spinning, and the propeller is in fine pitch. As the airspeed rises, the little prop starts turning and the pitch begins to get more coarse by means of a cam. There is a design speed for the prop and, as long as you don't exceed design speed and power rating, the unit above results in a more-or-less constant speed propeller without the complexity of a pitch control knob in the cockpit." Kind of a dynamic pitch control mechanism. __________________ http://www.vg-photo.com For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. Leonardo Da Vinci

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12-18-2004, 06:18 PM	#2
Nonskimmer Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia Posts: 8,871	No. Anyone else?

12-18-2004, 06:44 PM	#3
cheddar cheese Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: WSM, England Posts: 20,387	Pretty decorations Seriously I dont know either

12-19-2004, 05:38 PM	#7
cheddar cheese Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: WSM, England Posts: 20,387	Yeah it is, Ive always like the 189

12-20-2004, 09:08 AM	#8
R Pope Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 134	That " fan-like thingie" is part of the variable-pitch mechanism for the propellers. It uses air resistance to control the RPM by changing the pitch of the blades.

12-20-2004, 03:33 PM	#10
Nonskimmer Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia Posts: 8,871	Oh! Oh! Let's bet on 'em! I'll take R Pope's answer!

12-20-2004, 03:52 PM	#11
cheddar cheese Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: WSM, England Posts: 20,387	Ok, ill take wmaxt's

12-20-2004, 04:36 PM	#13
Nonskimmer Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia Posts: 8,871	Yay, I win! :P

12-20-2004, 05:34 PM	#14
cheddar cheese Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: WSM, England Posts: 20,387	You may have won the battle, but you will not win the war