Is it worth the effort of trying to sharpen the LE of a prop. I'm not talking about changing the airfoil of the prop blade, just sharpening an already sharp LE of a prop. What effect does this have on static thrust, efficiency and top speed?

-Q.

It is very unlikely to have any noticable effect at all - but why not try it and see what happens?
Mike

The leading edge should be dull. Sharp leading edges tends to cause the boundary layer to separate more easily from the top surface of the prop. If anything, you should sharpen the trailing edge. I agree with mikerolls37 though, if you are getting to this point for more power, nothing works better than more cubic inches.

Ok. I'm going to sharpen the TE and dull the LE. The current LE has small imperfections due to my landing skill .

The reason I ask is not for absolute power reasons. I just happen to have a prop on a plane that seems to be a bit beaten up and wanted to "restore" some of it's original LE shape, or even improve apon it. I agree, though, that a new and bigger prop would be more beneficial.

-Q.

A prop that is "beaten up" needs to be replaced.
They can fail. Dangerous.

Sharp LE's can also lead to removed digits!

Not Quite Whole Member????

Don't worry. I'm aware of that. The nicks on the prop are very small, but I wanted to minimize their aerodynamic effect.

-Q.

Yip. I'm afraid of that. Fortunately it's a small electric motor (380) with a small prop for direct drive. Also, it's a pusher so my fingers don't get in the way.

-Q.

yep, I did end up losing the tip of my middle finger to a Saito 100 and an APC 15x6 prop. Be careful, so yes, not quite whole.