Which propeller type would not require in-flight pitch adjustments for speed changes?

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

Answer: (C)

The key idea is how propeller blade angle is managed to adapt to different flight conditions. A fixed-pitch propeller has blades locked at one angle; that angle cannot be changed in flight. Because of that, you don’t adjust the pitch to change speed while airborne—you change speed by adjusting engine power (RPM) and the airplane’s airspeed, not the blade angle. In other words, speed changes don’t rely on reconfiguring the propeller’s pitch.

In contrast, the other propeller types are designed to alter blade angle during flight to optimize thrust and efficiency as conditions change. A variable-pitch propeller lets you set a different blade angle as needed; a constant-speed propeller automatically adjusts pitch to maintain a chosen engine RPM; a feathered propeller moves to a high-pitch angle to minimize drag when the engine isn’t driving the propeller. So those require in-flight pitch adjustments to manage speed and power effectively.

That’s why the fixed-pitch option is the one that wouldn’t require in-flight pitch changes for speed changes.