Rotating propeller blades maintain peak flight efficiency

A closer look

A fixed propeller blade is essentially a wing spinning in a circle, and just like a wing, its angle matters. If you fly faster, a static blade loses its bite on the incoming air. By mechanically rotating the pitch of the blades mid-flight, an aircraft can constantly adjust to 'bite' more air at high speeds or less air during takeoff. It is the aerospace equivalent of shifting gears in a transmission, forcing the air to do exactly what you want.