# Tractor vs pusher propeller

> Tractor or pusher propeller?

- Category: Aircraft design › Propellers
- Kind: Standard part
- Basis: Design rules and figures from the cited sources; example geometry by Xem Studio
- Page: https://xemstudio.com/objects/tractor-vs-pusher-propeller/ · JSON: https://xemstudio.com/api/geometry?object=tractor-vs-pusher-propeller · Plain text: https://xemstudio.com/objects/tractor-vs-pusher-propeller/sheet.txt
- License: dimension sheet CC BY 4.0 (Xem Studio); files Xem Studio Design License (free to use and sell from, not to redistribute as files: https://xemstudio.com/license/)
- Use in every chat: add https://xemstudio.com/mcp as a connector (https://xemstudio.com/use-with-ai/)

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

## Notes

- A tractor prop pulls from the front; a pusher pushes from the back. The FAA notes pusher propellers are subject to more damage than tractors because of ground clearance (FAA Powerplant Handbook).
- Propwash over a tractor's tail increases rudder effectiveness (FAA PHAK ch.6), which pushers lose; McCombs notes tractor vs pusher mounting shifts the required fin size (Model Aviation). APC pusher props carry a 'P' suffix (APC).
- The file is a reference example built by Xem Studio from the numbers above. Sizes the sources do not fix are illustrative; scale the example to your own vehicle.

## Sizes

| parameter | value or range | source |
|---|---|---|
| Damage exposure | pushers more than tractors (ground clearance) | FAA Powerplant Handbook |
| Rudder effectiveness | increased by propwash on tractors | FAA PHAK ch.6 |
| APC pusher suffix | P | APC Nomenclature |

## Where the files are

- FAA: [Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook - Powerplant, Ch. 7 Propellers](https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/09_amtp_ch7.pdf) — web — Publisher's page; dimensions are facts
- FAA: [Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25), Ch. 6 Flight Controls](https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/08_phak_ch6.pdf) — web — Publisher's page; dimensions are facts
- Model Aviation (AMA), W.F. McCombs: [Vertical Tail Size for Models (Apr 1992)](https://library.modelaviation.com/article/vertical-tail-size-models-1) — web — Publisher's page; dimensions are facts
- APC Propellers: [APC Propeller Nomenclature](https://www.apcprop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/APC-Propeller-Nomenclature.pdf) — web — Publisher's page; dimensions are facts

## Free STEP/STL (1 parts, Xem Studio Design License, Xem Studio)

Index: https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/tractor-vs-pusher-propeller/index.json · license: https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/tractor-vs-pusher-propeller/LICENSE.md

- tractor-vs-pusher-propeller-propeller: [STEP](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/tractor-vs-pusher-propeller/tractor-vs-pusher-propeller-propeller.step) · [STL](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/tractor-vs-pusher-propeller/tractor-vs-pusher-propeller-propeller.stl) — 10×6 in propeller, 2 blades: each section set at the geometric pitch angle atan(P / 2πr); chord and section illustrative

## Questions

**Why do pushers break props?**

They sit closer to the ground on landing (FAA Powerplant Handbook).

## Fits with

- [Propeller diameter vs pitch](https://xemstudio.com/objects/propeller-diameter-vs-pitch/)
- [Pitch-to-diameter ratio](https://xemstudio.com/objects/pitch-diameter-ratio/)
- [Propeller blade count (2, 3 and 4 blades)](https://xemstudio.com/objects/propeller-blade-count/)
- [Propeller helix angle and blade twist](https://xemstudio.com/objects/propeller-helix-angle-blade-twist/)
- [Propeller slip and efficiency](https://xemstudio.com/objects/propeller-slip-efficiency/)
- [APC propeller RPM limits](https://xemstudio.com/objects/apc-propeller-rpm-limits/)