Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 35:35-36:04

A new Black Swan propeller needs a calculation before a speed claim

A proposed propeller change illustrates why a ship's speed gain has to be calculated rather than inferred from blade count alone.

Black Swan Class SloopsHydrodynamicsPropellersWarship Speed
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Question

How fast could a modified Black Swan go with five-bladed propellers?

Short answer

No speed is estimated because the proposed change requires a detailed calculation.

Notes

A five-bladed propeller is proposed for a modified Black Swan sloop. Its effect on speed cannot be answered with a number from the information given. Establishing that result would require substantial calculation. The comparison with aeronautical engineering treats air and water as fluids, drawing attention to the analysis needed before claiming a performance improvement.