The purpose of this study was to design a quiet 3-Bladed propeller for general aviation aircraft. A combination of design technique and analytical predictions using the NASA Aircraft Noise Prediction Program - Propeller Analysis System (ANOPP-PAS) was used to achieve this goal. The propellers were designed for an engine power of 200 hp, a rotational speed of 2,400 RPM and a free-stream speed of 160 kts. A straight 76 in. diameter 2-bladed propeller was designed as a reference for the 64 in. diameter 3-bladed propeller. The ANOPP-PAS computer code was used for predicting the aerodynamic performance and radiated noise characteristics for both the 2-bladed and 3-bladed propeller designs. Through blade design modifications and the use of conventional, as well as specifically designed natural-laminar-flow (NLF) airfoils, 3-bladed propeller designs resulted in predicted noise reductions of 3.4 dB in the near-field which corresponds to 5.1 dBA; and a 3.4 dB (7.0 dBA) in the far-field when compared to the 2-bladed propeller. These 3-bladed designs resulted in no appreciable change in aerodynamic performance but an estimated 43% weight increase.
","abstract_html":"<p>The purpose of this study was to design a quiet 3-Bladed propeller for general aviation aircraft. A combination of design technique and analytical predictions using the NASA Aircraft Noise Prediction Program - Propeller Analysis System (ANOPP-PAS) was used to achieve this goal. The propellers were designed for an engine power of 200 hp, a rotational speed of 2,400 RPM and a free-stream speed of 160 kts. A straight 76 in. diameter 2-bladed propeller was designed as a reference for the 64 in. diameter 3-bladed propeller. The ANOPP-PAS computer code was used for predicting the aerodynamic performance and radiated noise characteristics for both the 2-bladed and 3-bladed propeller designs. Through blade design modifications and the use of conventional, as well as specifically designed natural-laminar-flow (NLF) airfoils, 3-bladed propeller designs resulted in predicted noise reductions of 3.4 dB in the near-field which corresponds to 5.1 dBA; and a 3.4 dB (7.0 dBA) in the far-field when compared to the 2-bladed propeller. These 3-bladed designs resulted in no appreciable change in aerodynamic performance but an estimated 43% weight increase.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Finn, Ronald W."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering","degree_level":"Thesis - Open Access","degree_discipline":"Aerospace Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Howard V. L. Patrick","Charles N. Eastlake","Yechiel J. Crispin"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1998,"date_issued":"1998-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"1998-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:25:23Z","subjects":["three-bladed","propeller","general aviation","aviation noise","ANOPP-PAS","Aerospace Engineering","Aviation"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.erau.edu/db-theses/60","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Howard V. L. Patrick","Charles N. Eastlake","Yechiel J. Crispin"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Finn, Ronald W."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Aerospace Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - Open Access"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["three-bladed","propeller","general aviation","aviation noise","ANOPP-PAS","Aerospace Engineering","Aviation"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.erau.edu/db-theses/60"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this study was to design a quiet 3-Bladed propeller for general aviation aircraft. A combination of design technique and analytical predictions using the NASA Aircraft Noise Prediction Program - Propeller Analysis System (ANOPP-PAS) was used to achieve this goal. The propellers were designed for an engine power of 200 hp, a rotational speed of 2,400 RPM and a free-stream speed of 160 kts. A straight 76 in. diameter 2-bladed propeller was designed as a reference for the 64 in. diameter 3-bladed propeller. The ANOPP-PAS computer code was used for predicting the aerodynamic performance and radiated noise characteristics for both the 2-bladed and 3-bladed propeller designs. Through blade design modifications and the use of conventional, as well as specifically designed natural-laminar-flow (NLF) airfoils, 3-bladed propeller designs resulted in predicted noise reductions of 3.4 dB in the near-field which corresponds to 5.1 dBA; and a 3.4 dB (7.0 dBA) in the far-field when compared to the 2-bladed propeller. These 3-bladed designs resulted in no appreciable change in aerodynamic performance but an estimated 43% weight increase.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Three-Bladed Propeller Design for the Reduction of General Aviation Radiated Noise Characteristics"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Howard V. L. Patrick","Charles N. Eastlake","Yechiel J. Crispin"],"dc:creator":["Finn, Ronald W."],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this study was to design a quiet 3-Bladed propeller for general aviation aircraft. A combination of design technique and analytical predictions using the NASA Aircraft Noise Prediction Program - Propeller Analysis System (ANOPP-PAS) was used to achieve this goal. The propellers were designed for an engine power of 200 hp, a rotational speed of 2,400 RPM and a free-stream speed of 160 kts. A straight 76 in. diameter 2-bladed propeller was designed as a reference for the 64 in. diameter 3-bladed propeller. The ANOPP-PAS computer code was used for predicting the aerodynamic performance and radiated noise characteristics for both the 2-bladed and 3-bladed propeller designs. Through blade design modifications and the use of conventional, as well as specifically designed natural-laminar-flow (NLF) airfoils, 3-bladed propeller designs resulted in predicted noise reductions of 3.4 dB in the near-field which corresponds to 5.1 dBA; and a 3.4 dB (7.0 dBA) in the far-field when compared to the 2-bladed propeller. These 3-bladed designs resulted in no appreciable change in aerodynamic performance but an estimated 43% weight increase.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.erau.edu/db-theses/60"],"dc:subject":["three-bladed","propeller","general aviation","aviation noise","ANOPP-PAS","Aerospace Engineering","Aviation"],"dc:title":["Three-Bladed Propeller Design for the Reduction of General Aviation Radiated Noise Characteristics"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Aerospace Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - Open Access"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:25:23Z"}