Propeller & Fuel Tank Size Charts

Propeller Size Charts

The data in the size charts on this page were published by Tower Hobbies a few years ago in their catalog. I do not believe they have published them again in recent catalogs, so I am going to put them on my page for your personal use. I am sure the data are copyrighted, hopefully Tower will not get too mad at me for putting them on my web site. Please do not use the data in the charts for other publications without Tower’s permission. Only the data in the charts belongs to Tower, everything else on this page is mine.

Selecting the propeller for an airplane is very subjective. Most of the equation in picking the right prop has to do with the engine size and if it is 2 or 4 cycles. The airplane will also enter in to the equation especially with small planes. If your prop is dragging on the ground you might want to try a smaller diameter prop with a larger pitch. On the other hand you may find that a longer prop with a smaller pitch will allow your engine to idle better do to the flywheel effect. And then there is the pilot, everyone has their own ideas on the perfect proper prop….

One size related problem with props is the hole for the shaft in the prop. Some large props may have a hole that is too big for your engine, if so you need to get a different prop. Running with a prop that has too big of a hole will cause the engine to vibrate do to the prop not being centered on the shaft. If the hole is too small use a prop reamer not a drill bit. A drill bit will sometimes drill an off center hole.

Always make sure your prop is balanced. The vibration caused by an unbalanced prop will damage your engine bearings and cause fuel foaming, that can cause dead sticks and that can cause dead airplanes. You do not need an expensive balancer for most engines. Simply sticking a thin screwdriver through the hole in the prop and watching which side drops will work just fine. Always sand off all sharp edges before you start removing material from the heavy end of the prop.

Note: The prop sizes (10X8) below mean = 10 inches X 8 pitch

An 8 pitch means that without any slippage a prop with a pitch of 8 would move 8 inches through the air for every revolution, just like a wood screw in wood.

2 Stroke Propeller Chart

4 – Stroke Propeller Chart

Fuel Tank Sizes

The size tank you need is more then a matter of "will it fit". Most kit manufactures specify a tank size in the instructions or on the plans, start with that size. Tanks weigh almost nothing, but fuel is heavy. Putting too big a tank in an airplane is adding unnecessary weight in the fuel that is not used. It has been my experience that most pilots seldom run out of fuel, (famous last words) so large tanks are not always called for. If you have a four-cycle engine you will find that you use far less fuel then a 2 cycle so you may not need as large of a tank. Large tanks also take up a lot of room be sure you leave enough space for padding around the tank or you may have fuel foaming problems.

One other problem I ran into was that in small tanks under 3 oz the fuel pickup hose inside the tank may be too stiff and short to bend down and reach the very bottom or side of the tank. You may have to add weight to the clunk to make sure this happens.

Fuel tank sizes below are just a suggestion.

There is no reason you could not use any size tank with any size engine.

Of course with some combinations you may have to refuel every minute……

The chart is for 2 cycle engines, 4 cycles do not use as much fuel so you could

reduce the size of the tank slightly. .

FUEL TANK SIZE CHART

Changes last made on: 6/18/2001

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