On Nov 19, 3:59*pm, "noel.wade" wrote:
Can anyone out there with experience behind both 2-bladed and 4-bladed
There are several Pawnees with 4-blade props and a few with 2-blade
props in Colorado. Yes, it will cost you $10k and be somewhat quieter
overhead and much quieter on approach, taxi and takeoff. The main
effect seems to be 4-blade props shifts the prop noise to a higher
pitch which is somehow less annoying.

As for performance, I've towed behind most of them and I'd estimate
that there is a small gain in initial acceleration followed by a small
loss in rate of climb - somewhere around 5% each way.

Mile High Gliding, the dealer for the Hoffmann 4-blade, uses them on
their 230HP Pawnees to tow over gross 2-32's from a 2200' runway with
a density altitude sometimes over 10,000'. Many of these tows go to
10,500 for their "Mile High Glider Ride". There's no way this would
work if there were a 25% performance loss.

Pawnees give me an idea of what the performance losses are?

My club has debated this off and on, but I was recently at a field
with a 4-bladed Pawnee and was much impressed with the lower noise.

Problem is, I've got club members claiming that it'll cost over $10k
to do the job, and we'd give up 25% to 30% in performance due to the
extra blades.

Can anyone corroborate those numbers?

Thanks, take care,

--Noel