Pusher prop vs tractor prop planes. How are they different performance wise?

[GreaterAviation]

Pusher vs tractor planes. How are they different performance wise?
I can only really think of two off the top of my head and its that tractor planes have their propeller forcing fast air over the wings and tractor planes have their engines in front making them more nose heavy.

 

[Merv]

On a tractor motor, the motor tends to take the impact, on a pusher, the motor is more protected in a crash.

 

[Ketchup]

Also with a tractor motor it would be hard to get smooth and laminar flow over the fuselage as compared to a pusher with the motor at the back. I am not sure if this really matters for small rc planes though. Also, to add to what you said about air going over the wings, you could also have air going over the tail surfaces, which can help for slow flight, 3d, and aerobatics in general.

 

[GreaterAviation]

Also with a tractor motor it would be hard to get smooth and laminar flow over the fuselage as compared to a pusher with the motor at the back. I am not sure if this really matters for small rc planes though. Also, to add to what you said about air going over the wings, you could also have air going over the tail surfaces, which can help for slow flight, 3d, and aerobatics in general.

isnt the air going over the tail surfaces needed for downforce

 

[Ketchup]

isnt the air going over the tail surfaces needed for downforce

I think that is air coming from the wings... The air from the motor doesn't usually create downforce on the tail in my experience.

 

[GreaterAviation]

I think that is air coming from the wings... The air from the motor doesn't usually create downforce on the tail in my experience.

Oh ok thank you!

 

[Flyingshark]

isnt the air going over the tail surfaces needed for downforce

It helps with control at low speeds. The control surfaces deflect air to move the plane, so blowing air over the control surfaces just makes them act like they would at higher speeds, so you can fly slower.

And the same goes for the wing. Actually, a bunch of the STOL jet transport designs have engines blowing air over the top of the wing to create artificial lift, so they can fly slower and land shorter.

 

[quorneng]

The most common quoted difference is that a tractor prop 'sees' undisturbed air whereas a pusher has 'disturbed' air from the airframe. Prop efficiency is more sensitive to disturbance on the inlet side than on the exit.
There is a possible counter to this in that with a pusher less of the airframe will be in the high speed prop wash so there will be less airframe drag.
Was this part of the reason that the Convair B36 used pusher props to get its 10,000 mile unrefuelled maximum range?