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Old June 14th 06, 02:08 AM posted to rec.aviation.homebuilt
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Default Why don't wings have dimples?

wrote in message
oups.com...

A few years ago someone was marketing a perforated tape to stick on
your propeller leading edges to act as vortex generators, improving
thrust and therefore performance. I have never seen any of this stuff
on a prop, and don't know if it was worthwhile or just another of the
gimmicks to get a poor pilot's money. Anybody else see it?

Dan


I remember it, but haven't seen it since and don't recall who made it.

I believe that there was also an article in "Experimenter", now renamed
"Sport Pilot", regarding a gent who had drilled a line of dimples (or
perhaps two) along the low pressure face of both blades of his prop at
approximately the thickest point. He did achieve his goal with regard to
static RPM and cruise RPM, as well as cruise speed for the particular
aircraft. However, IIRC, some baseline data was not recorded and the
article did not include the precise description and placement of the
dimples; with the result that a general inference was not reasonable.

Peter
Where's John Ronz when we need him?