In contrast, the constant-speed propellers installed on most multiengine airplanes are full feathering, counterweighted, oil-pressure-to-decrease-pitch designs. In this design, increased oil pressure from the propeller governor drives the blade angle towards low pitch, high r.p.m.—away from the feather blade angle. In effect, the only thing that keeps these propellers from feathering is a constant supply of high pressure engine oil. This is a necessity to enable propeller feathering in the event of a loss of oil pressure or a propeller governor failure.
The aerodynamic forces alone acting upon a windmilling propeller tend to drive the blades to low pitch, high r.p.m. Counterweights attached to the shank of each blade tend to drive the blades to high pitch, low r.p.m. Inertia, or apparent force called centrifugal force acting through the counterweights is generally slightly greater than the aerodynamic forces. Oil pressure from the propeller governor is used to counteract the counterweights and drives the blade angles to low pitch, high r.p.m. Areduction in oil pressure causes the r.p.m. to be reduced from the influence of the counterweights.
To feather the propeller, the propeller control is brought fully aft. All oil pressure is dumped from the governor, and the counterweights drive the propeller blades towards feather. As centrifugal force acting on the counterweights decays from decreasing r.p.m., additional forces are needed to completely feather the blades. This additional force comes from either a spring or high pressure air stored in the propeller dome, which forces the blades into the feathered position. The entire process may take up to 10 seconds.
