Which propeller type has a blade angle that cannot be changed by the pilot?

• A. Feathered Propeller
• B. Variable Pitch Propeller
• C. Fixed Pitch Propeller
• D. Constant Speed Propeller

Answer: (C)

Pitch control is the idea behind this item. A fixed-pitch propeller has blades set at a single angle that is locked in during manufacture; there’s no cockpit control to change that angle, so the blade angle stays the same in flight. The pilot can only adjust engine power and airspeed, not the blade pitch itself.

In contrast, a feathered propeller changes to a high pitch to reduce drag when not producing thrust, a variable pitch propeller allows in-flight changes to blade angle, and a constant-speed propeller uses a governor to automatically adjust pitch to maintain a selected RPM. Because the blade angle cannot be altered by the pilot in a fixed-pitch propeller, that type is the one described here.