Do Aggressive Pitch Propellers Actually Produce More Thrust?

Do Aggressive Pitch Propellers Actually Produce More Thrust?

The team at Premier Aerodynamics recently put this question to the test using a Tyto Robotics thrust stand, comparing propellers with the same diameter but different pitch values.

The results were surprising:

• The 7-inch prop with a 4-inch pitch reached max thrust of 0.92 kgf 
• The 7-inch prop with 5-inch pitch reached max thrust of 1.10 kgf 

In this case, increasing the pitch increased thrust by 24%.

However, the second comparison told a different story:

• The 8-inch prop with 4-inch pitch reached max thrust of 1.07 kgf
• The 8-inch prop with 6-inch pitch reached max thrust of 0.95 kgf

This time, increasing the pitch reduced thrust by 11%.

While increasing pitch can sometimes increase thrust, these results show that it's not always a guaranteed improvement.

This experiment highlights the value of testing with a Tyto thrust stand and shows why real-world measurements can challenge common assumptions.