What does prop control do?

[Beery]

I've a couple of questions on propeller control.  Firstly, the online manual hardly mentions it at all.  It's just about possible to determine from the manual that pulling the control button back lowers the prop speed and pushing it forward increases it, but that's about it.  Why one would need to mess with it is not addressed at all.  So my first question is, what's it for?

Secondly, why, if (as the manual states) the prop is revolving slower when you pull the lever back, does the sound increase as you'd expect if it was going faster?

[FSTipster]

Prop control is rather like a gearbox in a car.

It adjusts the pitch of the blades on the propellor.

The idea is to save fuel basically. What happens is tha as you pull the lever, the prop takes a bigger "bite" out of the air, resulting in you moving further forward per each revolution of the prop than you would otherwise.
Consequently, you can travel at cruise speed at lower prop and engine rpm (and therefore use less fuel) than if you left it alone.

It's reduced on takeoff and descent to give you maximum acceleration.

As to the sound, the engine noise should lower as the prop pitch increases - it does in the Baron as it should in any prop aircraft. If it isn't, someone has written the prop gauge incorrectly and called the wrong sound or failed to read it the right way.

[Fozzer]

Hi Beery...
FS 2002 Tipster has described it perfectly.... ...!
Use it all the time to get the best flying conditions out of your aircraft...
Push in for take-off and landings, pull out for cruising...!
Watch your tachometer, (engine speed), dial, keep it within the green area..

Push in = low gear, less stress on the engine, (at low air speeds)..
Pull out = high gear, (more stress on the engine, at low air speeds)..

(Don't forget to slightly weaken the mixture control as well for economy cruising once over around 2000 feet).
(It's fun using variable speed/variable pitch props... ...!...)

Cheers...
Paul.
(England).

[Beery]

Thanks for the info, guys.

[WebbPA]

I learn something new every day here.