How to choose an FPV propeller? And installation tutorials

According to the properties of different drones, to choose different propeller blades, the market mainly has two-blade propeller and three-blade propeller, in order to be compact, the propeller size will be small, but if you still need a lot of pulling force, you need to increase the number of propeller blades, the same rotational speed, the three-bladed will be bigger than the two-bladed pulling force. 3 inch 3-bladed propeller may be the same as the 4-inch two-bladed propeller is pretty much the same effect. More paddles will reduce the efficiency, suitable for small size and high speed.

First, how to choose the FPV propeller?

Here,  we’ ll explore the factors you need to consider on choosing your best FPV propeller. For most flyers, propellers are the components that often need to be replaced. There are various materials and specifications of propeller blades on the market, and every time you are choosing, you are always at a loss. Generally, when choosing a FPV propeller blade, these 5 main points will be considered: 1, size; 2, pitch; 3, blade configuration; 4, material (durability); 5, design (efficiency).

01,

Propeller Size

The common size used in FPV is 5″, which is usually best suited for motors in the 2204-2307 size range. The size of the propeller is usually determined by the size of your rack.
For example, your 5″ drone is usually fitted with 5″ propellers, and a 3″ drone is fitted with 3″ propellers. In some cases, using smaller or larger propellers may have these effects: larger propellers bring in more air and therefore require more power to rotate, which affects the responsiveness of the motors, as well as consuming more power. A smaller propeller blade would appear to be underpowered and not be able to carry the flight.
Here, let’s watch a video first, we use MEPS SZ4942 Racing Drone Prop to recognize the 5″ propeller.

02, Pitch of the propeller

Pitch refers to the angle of each blade on the propeller. Simply put, it is the distance that the propeller can advance per revolution in an environment free from external influences.
A high pitch propeller will provide more thrust and speed, but it will produce less low-end torque. A low pitch propeller will provide less thrust and speed, but it will produce more low end torque. It’s like you’re driving a car in first or second gear. A low pitch propeller will change direction faster and easier while providing faster response.

03, Propeller Configuration

FPV Propeller configuration refers to the number of blades on the propeller. In the most common 5-inch racks, the most commonly used for FPV drones are three-blade propellers, which provide the best balance between efficiency, thrust and grip.

04, Material of the propeller

The material used to manufacture the propeller has a large impact on its attributes such as efficiency and sound, so it is very special in the selection of materials. Initially, the propeller’s are mainly made of fiberglass reinforced plastic, so that the plastic is very heavy weight, no matter how fast the propeller turns, the fpv propeller can keep the right direction, its disadvantage is that it is very easy to crash.

Nowadays, propellers are made of polycarbonate, a type of plastic that has good stiffness, and when it hits something hard, it won’t break, it will just bend. Of course, there are other materials for propellers, but the best is usually considered to be polycarbonate or PC.

05, Propeller design

The choice of propellers affects all aspects of the drone’s use and performance. Efficiency is the focus of propeller design, and every flyer pursues more thrust and longer flight times. In order to reduce drag, the small wingtips of the fpv propeller are designed during the design process.

Second, how to install FPV propeller?

When we install the paddles of FPV drone, we first need to be clear about its power principle. When the fpv propeller is installed on the FPV traverser, the downward thrust generated by the rapid rotation will bring the drone into the air. Based on these principles, let’s explain how to install the propeller.
01, the side of the propeller blade with words is upward.

02, FPVs are usually equipped with two sets of propellers, two CM (forward propellers, rotating clockwise) and two CCM (counterclockwise propellers, rotating counterclockwise). There are also “5145” and “5145R” labels, like this one, without the letter “R” to indicate CW, with the letter “R R” means CCW.

03，After determining the propeller’s front and back sides and direction of rotation, it can be mounted on top of the rack, as shown in the picture, with the front of the rack facing upwards. The positions marked in red to install the CCW are the upper left and lower right corners. The blue labeled position to install the CW.

Related Reading：Proper Propellers Adjustment for Your FPV Drone: A Step-by-Step Guide

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