Prop Feather : How & why?

[ShaneG_old]

I've been flying the FS9 Baron 58 quite a bit,
and I've been messing with the prop feather knob
setting it to what I think it's for,
and now I'd like to actually know why it's there,
and how to use it properly.

[DaveSims]

By prop feather, I'm assuming you mean the prop control lever?  Brett can say it better than I can, and I think this will help answer your questions.

http://205.252.250.26/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaB ... 1212879811

[ShaneG_old]

Thanks for that link! 

I guess I've been doing it right then. 

I figured it was more or less for better control of prop RPM for varying situations. 

[DaveSims]

I've always heard the comparison to a transmission on a car.  It allows the prop to take a bigger bite of air while turning at a slower speed, thus reducing wear and tear, noise, and increasing efficiency. 

[ShaneG_old]

That's a good comparison.

[DaveSims]

Actually you would want to reduce the throttles before the propellers.  I always think of it this way, you want the propeller control to always be higher than the throttle, so throttle gets reduced before prop, and prop gets increased before throttle.  You want to avoid high MP/low RPM, as it puts a lot of load on the driveshaft and governor, which could cause engine damage.  For most non-turbo engines, it is normal to use the rule of squares, 25' MP/2500 RPM, 24' MP/2400 RPM, etc..  It usually varies slightly between different types of aircraft, but the rule of squares will usually work out on most normally aspirated piston engines.

[Brett_Henderson]

We had a good discussion about this in the flight-training section..

[ShaneG_old]

Actually you would want to reduce the throttles before the propellers.  I always think of it this way, you want the propeller control to always be higher than the throttle, so throttle gets reduced before prop, and prop gets increased before throttle.  You want to avoid high MP/low RPM, as it puts a lot of load on the driveshaft and governor, which could cause engine damage. 

That's the kind of tip I was looking for, and probably why I'm still blowing the engines when I use the realengine gauge while in flight.

I've got the settings about right, but it appears my order of procedure is off.

[DaveSims]

[quote]We had a good discussion about this in the flight-training section..

[Brett_Henderson]

LOL   :D

Here's the thread:

http://205.252.250.26/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaB ... 1212879811

[DaveSims]

[quote]LOL

[ShaneG_old]

And thank you both!

Made it through an entire flight using the realengine gauge, and no blown engine! 

Flying realistically makes FS so much harder to do, but SO much more rewarding when you pull it off. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]