Aeroacoustic Flight Test of Four Single Engine Propellers

A flight test program has been conat the Aeronautical and Astronautical Research Laboratory (AARL) of The Ohio State University to measure performance and acoustic characteristics of four propellers designed for use on single-engine general-aviation airplanes. Three of the propellers were designed to reduce acoustic noise, while the fourth was a standard production propeller used for comparison. The tests show that notacible reduction in near-field noise was achieved at a constant propeller rpm, and that comparable aircraft performance may still be maintained.