On Sep 30, 1:28*pm, Andy Burns wrote:

Just wondering how a multi-blade prop would change the balance of power
required to drive it vs thrust that the slowed air imparts to the craft?

Another counterintuitive aspect to this thing is that the propeller
acts just like any other propeller. It's tempting to think of the
wind pushing on a cushion of air being produced by the prop, but this
isn't the case. The propeller simply pulls its way through a (moving)
mass of air in exactly the same way an aircraft prop does. There are
trade-offs with number of blades, pitch, diameter, etc. Each affects
prop efficiency and practical engineering aspects (like having a thick
enough camber to contain the spar).