Final week, I constructed a long-range FPV drone utilizing the Chimera 9 ECO body, and whereas researching the required elements, I got here throughout Grasp Airscrew, a US model with a convention in propeller manufacturing. To date, I’ve solely used HQprop, Dalrop, and Gemfan propellers, and though they by no means disillusioned me, I used to be curious to check if these 9″ Grasp Airscrew props can surpass them in efficiency.
Propellers normally have 2-3 numbers within the product title for straightforward identification. The primary represents diameter, the second pitch, and the third is the variety of blades.
In a nutshell, pitch is the twist on the propeller’s blades. It represents the space a propeller would transfer in a single revolution via a mushy cheese :). It’s just like the advance of screws in wooden -every rotation goes deeper by a selected distance. For instance, the 3MR 9×4.5 props have a 4.5-inch pitch, which means that after one spin, it would transfer ahead 4.5″.
Grasp Airscrew 9″ 3MR 9×4.5 and MR 9×4.5 overview
Disclosure: I acquired these propellers for a product overview collaboration with Grasp Airscrew. Though the merchandise had been supplied without cost, all opinions on this article stay my very own, and the sponsor didn’t affect me.
Windsor Propeller was based in 1978 by the U.S. Navy check pilot Frederick Templeton Jamieson, and it focuses on manufacturing high-quality mannequin plane propellers constructed from Glass Fiber Strengthened Composite, Maple, and Seashore wooden. All firm merchandise are designed and manufactured below the registered model title MASTER AIRSCREW in California, USA. Their product ranges in 4 primary classes: Mannequin airplanes, DJI drones (virtually all collection MINI, Air, Mavic, Phantom, and FPV together with AVATA), Different digital camera drones (Hubsan, 3D SOLO, and Autel), and Multirotor propellers (CineLifter, X-class Racing, Lengthy-Vary, and Freestyle). They’ve propellers specialised for electrical motors and fuel/glow engines.
I opted for 2 fashions from the big selection of 9″ propellers obtainable. Each propellers are properly packed in a color-zipped bag with the US flag on it to strengthen the product’s origin. The 3MR 9×4.5 propellers are offered individually (CW or CCW), and the MR 9×4.5 ones are in pairs (two CW or two CCW).
After the package deal was shipped, I observed that the props have 6mm shaft diameters, and my motors have 5mm. Grasp Airscrew has reasonably priced appropriate adapter rings, however it was too late for me. Fortunately, I discovered the STL file on Thingiverse and 3D printed them utilizing Nanovia TPU 70D semi-rigid filament.
Each Grasp Airscrew 9″ propellers are constructed from Glass Fiber R composite materials with a pleasant shiny black end. The 2 have an identical blade geometry. The three-blade 3MR 9×4.5 weighs 14.5 grams, and the 2-blade MR 9×4.5 9.7 grams.
To supply the very best efficiency, most Grasp Airscrew blades, together with these two nine-inch propellers, are factory-balanced. A well-balanced prop means much less vibration and fewer stress to the motors, plus quieter.
Grasp Airscrew 3MR 9×4.5 3-blade propeller technical parameters
Propeller diameter
9″ / 228.6 mm
Propeller pitch
4.5″ / 114.3 mm
Variety of leaves
3
Shaft diameter
6 mm (adjustable by way of adaptor rings)
Hub thickness
8 mm
Course of rotation
CCW/Tractor/NormalCW/ Pusher/Reverse
Materials
Glass Fiber R Composite
Shade
Black
Weight
0.51 oz / 14.5 g
Grasp Airscrew MR 9×4.5 2-blade propeller technical parameters
Propeller diameter
9″ / 228.6 mm
Propeller pitch
4.5″ / 114.3 mm
Variety of leaves
2
Shaft diameter
6 mm (adjustable by way of adaptor rings)
Hub thickness
8 mm
Course of rotation
CCW and CW
Materials
Glass Fiber R Composite
Shade
Black/Orange/Inexperienced
Weight
0.34oz / 9.7g
Pricing, availability, and different choices
The 3MR 9×4.5 propellers are priced at $8.97/pcs, and the MR 9×4.5 ones are priced at $7.65/pair in black or $8.65 for orange and inexperienced colours. You possibly can order it straight from the producer’s web site or on-line platforms like Amazon. Should you want the very best efficiency in your 9-inch cine-lifter drone, the X Energy 9×8 three and five-leaf propellers can be found for $13.47/pcs. For an additional $2.97/set, you possibly can order shaft adapter rings (1/8”, 3/16”, 5/16”, 3mm, 5mm, 6mm).
3 Blade vs 2 Blade Propeller: Which is Greatest in your FPV Drone?
Within the desk beneath, I in contrast an important elements to think about when selecting between two and three-blade propellers.
3-blades
2-blades
General efficiency
In idea, 3-blade props present the very best stability of effectivity, thrust, and grip.
–
Motor energy
–
Two-blade propellers require much less highly effective motors.
Effectivity
–
Greater effectivity as in comparison with 3-blades.
Pace
–
Quicker velocity as in comparison with 3-blades.
Maneuverability
3-blade propellers favor fast maneuvers easily.
–
Noise
Typically, three-blade props are quieter than two-blade props.
–
Crash resistance
–
They’re extra sturdy than three-blade as they’re much less uncovered throughout collision.
Packability
–
Drones with two-blade props require much less house, as they’ll align with the fuselage.
Weight
–
By design, two blades are lighter than three-blade ones.
Value
–
Normally, 2-leaf props are cheaper than 3-leaf ones.
We are able to conclude that two-blade propellers are appropriate for racing FPV drones the place weight and velocity are crucial, and three-blade ones for Cinematic drones the place you want stability, maneuverability, much less noise, and extra thrust to hold further payloads (digital camera).
Completely satisfied New Yr 2024!