benjaminwiseman

I have been out of the hobby for years and was wondering which way the prop turns if you are looking at the front of the plane??? Is it the same for nitro and electric???..Ben

meaden

Nitro...counter clockwise.

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

Counter-clockwise when looking at the front of the plane. Yes, same for both nitro and electric.

Ken

meaden

Thought I'd give you half the answer. I don't fly electric. I like my counter clockwise props to make some noise

B.L.E.

Electric motors are simple to reverse, which means you can use tractor props on a pusher, have counter rotating props on a twin, or use a pusher prop as a tractor prop on a model of a full scale plane that has a clockwise turning prop. (Sukhoi SU 29, Volkwagen powered homebuilts)
There is even an electric setup with counter rotating coaxial shafts for what has to be the world's loudest electric plane.

firstplaceaviator

My Feedback: (27)

In the full scale world, British and Russian propellers turn clockwise (viewed from in front), while American props turn counterclockwise. Why?? I don't know... I just don't know[&o]

B.L.E.

Appearently,not all the British planes turned the props backwards. The Tigermoth did, so did the Griffin powered Spitfire (five blade prop). All the photos of 4 and 3 blade Spitfires that I was able to google up seemed to be pitched to turn in the conventional direction, unless someone flipped a negative while printing the photo. Didn't the P-51 Mustang use the same RollsRoyce Merlin engine used in the Supermarine Spitfires?

freeonthree

My Feedback: (1)

Must have something to do with the equator eh ?

Villa

Hi RCKen
You do a great job on this forum. In my other life I used to design engine driven air compressors. As a young engineer specifying my first engine fan to cool both the engine and compressor, I specified the direction of air flow wrong. The error was very embarassing and I have never forgotten it. It is true that you learn from your mistakes. You state "Counter-clockwise when looking at the front of the plane". This can be missinterpreted because the person looking can be standing at the back of the plane "looking at the front of the plane". It is best to state "when looking from the front of the plane toward the back of the plane the direction of rotation is counter clockwise". To this day I cannot look at a fan or propeller without determining the pitch and direction of rotation.

Keep up the good work.

firstplaceaviator

My Feedback: (27)

Or, we could just adapt the full scale rule and use "As viewed from the cockpit." [8D]

Which way does it rotate?

RCVFR

My Feedback: (7)

Do this: choose a quiet place, sit with a prop in your hand. Look at the prop, examine it, turn it every way, look with intensity, then look with relaxed interest, let your imagination come forward , using the prop as a guide, keeping your focus on the prop. Keep doing this, and you will suddenly find enlightenment; you will know which way the prop turns.

Guaranteed!

B.L.E.

Well, the Brits drive on the wrong side of the road also, why? I don't know. Probably just to be different than us.

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

Freeonthree, that appealed to my twisted sense of humor. Guess everyone else here is normal. Anyway, many of my engines would just as soon run with the prop rotating clockwise as viewed from the front as counter clockwise. However, I find it very difficult to control the airplane when the engine turns this direction.. I've had very few successful flights this way.

propjobbill

Didn't see this in any reply yet but Cox reed valve engines will run well in either direction. So they can be used with a right or left hand prop. But to my knowledse all other engines turn counter clockwise. On all brushed electric engines they can be run in either direction by switching the wires from side to side

B.L.E.

I forgot all about Cox reed valve engines. Yes indeed, they run in whatever direction they are started in. Some high performance brushed electric motors have the brush timing advanced to compensate for armature reaction under heavy load. These motors will spark heavily if they are run backwards or are regeneratively braked. The el-cheapo can motors usually come with neutral timing and work equally well in either direction.
Brushless motors can be reversed by interchanging any two of the three wires that power the motor from the esc. DO NOT reverse the battery polarity to the esc!!!