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Surface drive (surface-piercing propeller)

Name: Surface drive (surface-piercing propeller) dimension sheet
Creator: Xem Studio
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

What is a surface drive and why use a surface-piercing prop? · Standard part · basis: Design rules and figures from the cited sources; example geometry by Xem Studio

Also called: surface drive, surface piercing propeller, stinger drive, rc surface drive, cleaver prop, half submerged prop, surface propeller, arneson drive, surface drive vs submerged

Exact dimensions. True size, with no printing tolerance added.

sizes: 4 in table

Notes

A surface drive runs the propeller only partly submerged near the water surface. Removing shafts, struts and hubs from the water cuts appendage drag, and the prop can be large and lightly loaded; ventilation replaces cavitation (ITU lecture).
Drawbacks are vibration, poor reverse, difficult turns, harder set-up and poor efficiency at low rpm. Cleaver props suit speeds above ~50 knots (ITU).
RC 'stinger' drives position the prop similarly; racers report no difference in hull behaviour if the prop sits in the same place (Model Gas Boats forum).
The file is a reference example built by Xem Studio from the numbers above (44 mm x 1.4 pitch ratio RC mono prop (SV Design).). Sizes the sources do not fix are illustrative; scale the example to your own vehicle.

Surface drive size chart

parameter	value or range	source
Cleaver prop speed	above ~50 kn	ITU (Takinaci)
Draft	can be ~half a prop diameter	ITU (Takinaci)
RC shaft height	3/8-1/2 in above keel	Model Gas Boats forum
RC prop example	44 mm dia, 1.4 pitch ratio	SV Design (Stealthwake)

Where the files are

Other publishers' files are linked, not hosted. "verify" = check the license at the link before commercial use.

Istanbul Technical University (A. C. Takinaci)	Advanced Propulsion Systems, Week 14: Surface Piercing Propellers	web	Publisher's page; dimensions are facts
Model Gas Boats forum	Stinger drive versus strut support set up	web	Publisher's page; dimensions are facts
SV Design	Pro Boat Stealthwake upgrades info (Feb 2022)	web	Publisher's page; dimensions are facts

Free files

★ Free files 1 parts. Xem Studio design: free to use, print and sell things from; not to be republished as files. Xem Studio Design License. index.json

surface-piercing-drive-propeller

1.73×2.43 in propeller, 2 blades: each section set at the geometric pitch angle atan(P / 2πr); chord and section illustrative

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Plain text: sheet.txt · JSON: /api/geometry?object=surface-piercing-drive