Saturday, August 29, 2026

Counter rotating props

 


12 comments:

  1. Contra rotating.

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  2. Looks like the TU-95 Bear. A Russian bomber about the same age as our B-52 and in service.

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    1. I think the Ukrainians blew up a couple of these with drones while they were on the ground reducing the number still flying.

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  3. iirc they were so loud, we could track them without radar, just sound detection

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  4. I seem to remember reading somewhere that counter rotating was inefficient when the second blade was behind the first one. Must be one reason that we see examples in the world so rarely. Helicopters being an exception.

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  5. Easy fix. Just put the second blade in front of the first one.

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  6. The engines on the Tu95 Bear generate 15,000hp each. If it had normal props they would have to be much larger in diameter to turn all that horsepower into thrust. This would require much taller landing gear to keep the props off the runway. Also you want to keep the prop tips below the speed of sound so the bigger props would have to turn slower which means the reduction gear box in the front of the engine would have to handle more torque as would the engine mounts and the firewall structure they are bolted onto.
    What I find amazing is the pitch angle on the blades. The faster you go the coarser the pitch angle you need to maintain effective pitch.
    Al_in_Ottawa

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  7. Is the film running in reverse, or is this air-braking after landing?

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    Replies
    1. My guess, this is the notorious video artefact, also the cause of rubber safety propellers.

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