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How to Build Experimental Aircraft Propellers

Aircraft propellers take the power created by an engine and convert it into thrust. This thrust controls how quickly the plane moves through the air and helps it not only get off of the ground, but also stay aloft. Experimental, or home-built kit airplanes often come with a propeller, but in some cases you will have to build your own. The main thing to keep in mind when coming up with a design for the propeller is how much thrust the engine needs and the angle that the blades need to be at.

Things You'll Need

Paper
Pencil
Scissors
Wood
Weights
Marker
Circular saw
Wood glue
Clamps
Planer
Grinder
Jig saw
Drill
Varnish
Paint brush

Instructions

- 1
  Sketch out the design for the propeller on a large sheet of paper. You will need six propeller pieces: three full-sized and three in incrementally smaller sizes.
- 2
  Cut out the propeller templates and lay them out on the wood. Place the weights at each end to hold them down. Trace out the shapes onto the wood with a marker. Remove the templates.
- 3
  Use a circular saw to cut the propeller shapes out of the wood. Lie them on a flat surface with the full-sized ones on the bottom and the smaller ones on top. Glue them together on an angle from each other so that they overlap and form what looks like a staircase. Clamp them so that they stay in position while the glue dries for four hours.
- 4
  Remove the clamps. Use the circular saw to cut away any side angles so that the blade shapes are rounded. Then use the planer and grinder to smooth the surface and cut away the edges of each piece until the blades are smooth.
- 5
  Cut out the center of the propeller with the jig saw, then drill six smaller holes in a circle around it for the bolts that hold the propeller to the nose of the plane. The center needs to be 3 inches in diameter.
- 6
  Coat the propeller with varnish. Let the varnish dry overnight before mounting the propeller onto your airplane.

Aviation