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Back in the 80s there were experiments run with propfans -- propellers with many stubby blades that offered near jet-like performance while consuming half the f
by bitwize 4y ago
Back in the 80s there were experiments run with propfans -- propellers with many stubby blades that offered near jet-like performance while consuming half the fuel. They never got anywhere because propfan engines were large and noisy and the dropping price of oil made the fuel economy concerns less urgent.
- rbanffy 4y agoA think a lot of the noise was because the blades were counter-rotating. The size limitation was to be compatible with tail-mounted engines like the ones used in DC-9's and 727's.