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Why Didn't Late Generation LW Fighters Use Four Blade Props?
I hope those of you with good aeronautical engineering knowledge (unlike me) can clarify why late generation Luftwaffe fighters,such as the Fw 190D and the Ta 152, didn't use the four blade propellors used by their Anglo-American contemporaries, such as the P 51D, P 47D/M/N, Tempest and Spitfire XIV (which had a five blade propellor).
The He 177 had a four blade propellor and I've seen a four bladed Do 217 (and even the middle engine of a Bv 138 flying boat so equipped), so I assume there was no technical limitation barring the use of four bladed props by Luftwaffe aircraft.
Also, as the published data don't seem to indicate that eg the Ta 152 lagged in performance compared with Allied equivalents, was there an inherent advantage in four, compared with three bladed props?
Regards,
Boomerang
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