Prop Pitch question...

[Codex]

Have read here: http://people.ee.ethz.ch/~chapman/il.../proppitch.htm

Be patient with it, read it over a few times if you have to...you'll get it eventually.

[Flyby]

I think I understand a little of the prop pitch article, but I'm not all that clear on it as I think I should be. Someone check me out, please. I'm thinking of altitude, and speed situations where I need to adjust prop pitch to either achieve, or maintain performance. For instance:
* I think I need more pitch at higher altitude for biting into the thinner air, and less drag on the airfoils (wings, and propeller blades), especially if speed has fallen off like during a long climb.
* I think I need to decrease prop pitch when I dive from high altitude, as speed builds up, and engine rpm rises ( I'd have to watch, and adjust pitch to keep rpms from over-reving the engine).
* I think I don't need as much "bite", in general, from the prop at lower altitudes where the air is more dense.
* I think all of the above are dependant on tactical power requiremens. That is, whatever it takes to keep the engine in the desired performance regime: Max aircraft speed at low altitude versus max aircraft speed at high altitude: increasing diving speed: takeoff: landing: cruising.
I guess it all depends on the individual aircraft, and knowing your plane, or watching the engine revs. Anyway, that's my thinking. Am I on the right track anywhere here?
thanks!
Flyby out

[41Sqn_Banks]

I really don't understand why so many people have problems with that topic. In fact you can reduce it to some basic rules:

If you have a CSP you don't need to care about the angle of the blades or something, all this is done by the CS governor. The only thing you need to think about is the engine RPM. And there the rule is simple:
High RPM = high acceleration, high speed, high temperature, high fuel consumption
Low RPM = low acceleration, low speed, low temperature, low fuel consumption

When diving you can make a "power dive" which is with high RPM and high Boost, or you can do a "low drag dive" with low RPM and low Boost, or you can do a "high drag dive" with high RPM and low Boost.

Thats all ... Same rules for a manual propeller, only that you need to maintain the RPM yourself at the high or low level.

[Flyby]

I wonder how many planes in IL2 have a cps? At least Banks is honest when he says he doesn't understand why so many people have a problem understanding with this topic. Now I wonder how many people actually DO have a problem understanding the topic. I think I'm at least one who is/was not perfectly clear on it.
Flyby

[Bearcat]

Most of the American ones do... and as far as a CSP prop goes.... think throttle = Manifold pressure prop pitch = RPM.. If you do not let your RPM redline you will get more out of the engine.