| Re: WW 2 Navy vs USAAC tech question That's a very curious question, and this would be my response:
More powerful engines would need more propeller blades. To understand this problem, we need to realize that a propeller must be tailored to the specific needs of an engine. The job of the propeller is to "absorb" the power produced by the engine and transmit that power to the air flow passing through the propeller disk. Thus, energy is added to the air to speed it up and generate a thrust force on the propeller blades. If the propeller and engine are not properly matched depending on the power of the engine, both become inefficient and performance suffers. |