I did a bit of searching around, but couldn't find anything that seemed to address this topic.
I've read people saying, "Biplanes need long propellers," without giving any reasoning behind the statement. I was pondering engines today (more armchair "airplane building"), and thinking about RPM and tip cavitation -- the Jabiru 2200 hits max HP at 3300 RPM, which is obviously going to cavitate the tips on a long prop.
So, why do biplanes "need" long propellers? (I'm aware that this statement must have been made with a context in mind, but I'm not sure what it was -- aerobatics, or cruise flight, or what. I'm also aware that there's no simple answer to such a complex question, but I'd love to get some of the reasoning behind it.)
I've read people saying, "Biplanes need long propellers," without giving any reasoning behind the statement. I was pondering engines today (more armchair "airplane building"), and thinking about RPM and tip cavitation -- the Jabiru 2200 hits max HP at 3300 RPM, which is obviously going to cavitate the tips on a long prop.
So, why do biplanes "need" long propellers? (I'm aware that this statement must have been made with a context in mind, but I'm not sure what it was -- aerobatics, or cruise flight, or what. I'm also aware that there's no simple answer to such a complex question, but I'd love to get some of the reasoning behind it.)
