syscom3
Pacific Historian
Was the Hellcat ever fitted with a four bladed prop? If not, why?
4 bladed Hellcat props
- Thread starter syscom3
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Shortround6
Major General
XF6F-6, two built using the same engine as the F4U-4. Production canceled with the end of the war.
Perhaps they thought the F6F and F4U didn't need 4 blades for the power they had at the altitudes they were flying?
Tomo beat me to it
P-47 with it's turbo made several hundred more HP at higher altitudes (thinner air) and may well have needed extra "bite".
- Thread starter
- #4
syscom3
Pacific Historian
Thank you gents. I guess the performance gain wasnt enough to justify it. Although the Corsairs and Thunderbolts put the 4 bladed props to good use.
Thunderbolts had a more stumpy undercarriage so maybe four blades was the way to go. Is there anywhere to find easily the distance between the prop centre line and the ground at take off.
Great info tomo, however I was thinking that there would be different minimum prop clearance for naval planes to prevent a prop strike after bouncing back after arrest.
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- #8
syscom3
Pacific Historian
I bet the Hellcat with a four bladed prop would have one heck of a climb rate just like the Bearcat.
From what I have read here on the forum it is not quite that simple, nothing ever is.
Shortround6
Major General
Bearcat had more power and used a smaller diameter prop.
Bearcat was also about a ton lighter and had less drag.
Hellcat was going to need a lot more than a 4 bladed prop to climb like a Bearcat, like a rocket strapped to it
Bearcat was also about a ton lighter and had less drag.
Hellcat was going to need a lot more than a 4 bladed prop to climb like a Bearcat, like a rocket strapped to it
I had a feeling it wasn't that simple, if it was that simple it would have been done.Hellcat was going to need a lot more than a 4 bladed prop to climb like a Bearcat, like a rocket strapped to it
wuzak
Captain
I bet the F6F's 2-3,000lb of extra weight would have stymied the climb rate.
wuzak
Captain
The F4U-1 did without a 4 bladed prop, and it had the same, essentially, engine as the Hellcat.
- Thread starter
- #14
syscom3
Pacific Historian
A four bladed prop is not going to way that much more.
Shortround6
Major General
It's not the weight of the prop. it's the weight of the airframe between the Hellcat and the Bearcat.
An F6F weighs about 9200lbs empty, AN F8F-2 weighs about 7650lbs empty. The F6F has a 334 sq ft wing, one of the largest (in not the largest on any single engine fighter in large scale use) compared to the F8Fs 244sq ft.
The Fuselage is sort of in proportion being almost 6 feet longer on the F6F.
Bigger fuel tank/s and so on.
Loaded it just gets worse.
You can put drag slicks on a 1968 427 Impala
Doesn't mean you are going to come close to a 68 427 Corvette.
An F6F weighs about 9200lbs empty, AN F8F-2 weighs about 7650lbs empty. The F6F has a 334 sq ft wing, one of the largest (in not the largest on any single engine fighter in large scale use) compared to the F8Fs 244sq ft.
The Fuselage is sort of in proportion being almost 6 feet longer on the F6F.
Bigger fuel tank/s and so on.
Loaded it just gets worse.
You can put drag slicks on a 1968 427 Impala
Doesn't mean you are going to come close to a 68 427 Corvette.
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YF12A
Airman
Interesting. In the Mustang family, the Na-73, Xp-51, A-36 and the P-51a all had 3 bladed props. Looks like right around the P-51b they went with a 4 bladed prop. Don't have my books available right now, but wonder if the Packard Merlin had anything to do with this. I'm sure someone here knows the answer.
Don't have references, but the greatly improved high altitude power of the Merlin is probably the reason.
Shortround6
Major General
Well, the prop you use for 1100hp in the low teens, or 1400-1500hp at sea level is not the prop you want to use for 1400-1500 hp at over 20,000ft where the air is less than 1/2 as dense as sea level.
YF12A
Airman
With due respect to all, the B-36 only ever swung a 3 bladed prop, but 2 different versions, the square tip one, IIRC , being the high altitude prop while just about everything else with an R-4360 had a 4 blade propeller. Just thinking...
Shortround6
Major General
B-36 used a 19ft prop,
A B-50D used a 16'8" prop
The Super Corsair used a 13'6' prop.
B-36 prop had about 283 sq ft of disc area.
B-50 prop had about 217 sq ft of disc area.
F2G prop had about 143 sa ft of disc area.
I have no idea what the prop blade areas were
A B-50D used a 16'8" prop
The Super Corsair used a 13'6' prop.
B-36 prop had about 283 sq ft of disc area.
B-50 prop had about 217 sq ft of disc area.
F2G prop had about 143 sa ft of disc area.
I have no idea what the prop blade areas were
