What 3 blade prop would work well with FT Duster

Userofmuchtape&glue

Posted a thousand or more times
I'd say a 9x4 or 9x5 3 blade. generally just leave the pitch the same and drop the diameter a " to stop the motor overheating.
 

quorneng

Master member
Mark 42
When playing around with prop choices my advice is "get a Watt meter".
Adding a prop blade adds significant load to the motor which in most cases is working quite hard already - it has to for the plane to fly - so quite a small extra load can cause "magic smoke" to come from something.
A watt meter in itself does not stop an over load but at least it allows you to stop before the current exceeds a limit - 30A for the ESC in your case - and try a different prop.
 

Mark 42

New member
I ordered 8040 and 8045 three blade props.
Maybe I should order a couple of 8060 props so I can experiment.
I figure smaller diameter = less ground strikes.

First I have to re-learn how to fly though.

What kind of watt meter should I look for?
I don't think the Ammeter on my digital multimeter will handle 30A.

The motor is only good to 24 amps or 280 Watts for up to 30 Second (Emax GT2215/10 motor)

But I should probably get a 50A meter for the future.
 
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quorneng

Master member
This is the Watt meter I use
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Asiproper-Digital-Battery-Balance-60V100A/dp/B07C9CDBG5/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1522748813&sr=8-3&keywords=rc+watt+meter
Cheap enough but you have to solder on the appropriate male and female connectors to match your battery and ESC.
You may be able to find one with suitable connector already on.
It then is just plugged in between the battery and ESC. It will show the Voltage, Amps and Watts being used in real time as well a storing the maximum values of each achieved. Before you do anything make sure the plane is secure and keep clear of the prop!

Yes a 3 or 4 blade will be a smaller diameter so less ground strikes but it is also less efficient than a 2 blade prop so needs a bit more power (sorter flight times). In addition with more blades if it does hit the ground there is a greater chance a blade will be snapped off.
 

Mark 42

New member
I'm building a test stand - I don't have a plane yet, and I do want to see the motor run
with a prop on it. I'll have to take a picture or two when I get it setup.

The FT Power Pack C combo came with (2) "HQ Propellers 10 x 4.5 Slow Fly"

I'll start with those, and try the 8X4 & 4x4.5 3 blades I bought.

I also saw some EP props (2 blade) that looked really tough on eBay (they're shown bending pretty far)
 

sprzout

Knower of useless information
Mentor
I'm building a test stand - I don't have a plane yet, and I do want to see the motor run
with a prop on it. I'll have to take a picture or two when I get it setup.

The FT Power Pack C combo came with (2) "HQ Propellers 10 x 4.5 Slow Fly"

I'll start with those, and try the 8X4 & 4x4.5 3 blades I bought.

I also saw some EP props (2 blade) that looked really tough on eBay (they're shown bending pretty far)

Keep in mind that props that flex and bend don't necessarily equate to the best performance. I've found that the "unbreakable" props on quadcopters give a noticeably softer response in things like cornering and lift, because the blades DO flex. This is why a lot of pilots will run a wood or carbon fiber prop on some of the bigger planes - less flex, more snap to power.

That said, it may not suit your particular build to use a stiffer prop; it may be better for you to just go with a more flexible one, especially if you're trying to keep costs down. Carbon fiber and wood props can be fairly expensive, and probably aren't warranted in a foam plane like the FT birds. :)
 

Mark 42

New member
I figure I'll fool around with what I ordered (the Power Pack C props, and some 3 blade
8040 & 8045 props that were cheap on eBay.

It's just an FT Duster, and I'm just going to tool around with it at first.
I'll probably get someone with the same Tx to help me with a trainer cord at first.
It's been a long time since I flew RC Planes.