P47 Electric constant speed vs. prop pitch lever

[fiendlittlewing]

So, what is the difference between the electric RPM switch and the regular old prop pitch lever? Don't they do the same thing? Is it just a workload thing?

 

 

 

Is there a situation where you'd prefer using one over the other?

[grafspee]

I think electric switch is FIXED pitch mode, something like in K-4 but i could be wrong here.

Automatic mode is just constant speed governor.

You can use it in emergencies when governor fail to work properly.

[Art-J]

Electric switch, when flipped to manual mode, is a direct prop pitch switch, not an RPM one. So it doesn't do the same thing as the prop lever, as in that scenario it's not connected to RPM governor.

 

In practical terms you always leave it in auto and forget it's there, unless combat damage or any other emergency situation makes governor inop and you have to manually adjust pitch to avoid prop overspeed.

 

It's a neat functionality. In P-51 if you loose governor and prop goes full RPM you can't do anything apart from trying to fly slower. In P-47 manual mode gives you that extra control to limp back home.

Edited September 6, 2020 by Art-J

[Rover]

You can actually see the prop blades change angle if you use the switch in manual mode, after engine shutdown for example or after a engine seizure in flight.

Guess you can use it for "feathering the prop"?

 

Edit: After some testing it might actually be modeled, I get a little further in a glide (lots of variables I know) and in my very "scientific" test where I'm standing still, engine off, on a runway with a 30m/s headwind she gets pushed back more without it "feathered"... XD

Edited September 6, 2020 by Rover