Fixed-pitch propellers have blade angles that are

Fixed-pitch propellers have blade angles that are

• A. Cannot be changed by the pilot
• B. Automatically changed by a governor
• C. Can be adjusted in flight
• D. Adjusted on the ground only

Answer: (A)

Fixed-pitch propellers use a single blade angle set during installation and stay at that angle throughout flight. There’s no mechanism to vary pitch on the fly, so the pilot cannot change the blade angle once airborne. Only ground maintenance, such as changing the blades or swapping to a differently pitched prop, can alter the pitch, which is why the best statement about fixed-pitch props is that the blade angle cannot be changed by the pilot. This contrasts with variable-pitch (constant-speed) props, which use a governor to adjust pitch to keep a desired engine RPM.

Fixed-pitch propellers use a single blade angle set during installation and stay at that angle throughout flight. There’s no mechanism to vary pitch on the fly, so the pilot cannot change the blade angle once airborne. Only ground maintenance, such as changing the blades or swapping to a differently pitched prop, can alter the pitch, which is why the best statement about fixed-pitch props is that the blade angle cannot be changed by the pilot. This contrasts with variable-pitch (constant-speed) props, which use a governor to adjust pitch to keep a desired engine RPM.