Carbon Fiber Propeller Cons and Pros
Are carbon fiber propellers better than plastic propellers? When choosing multicopter props, not only we need to consider the size and pitch of the props, we also need to choose the type of material: carbon fiber, plastic, fiber glass reinforced, wooden props etc. Carbon fiber props are almost twice as expensive as the common plastic props, and they are promoted to have better performance than the cheap plastic ones. So is that true? What are the advantages and disadvantages of carbon fiber props? Here is what I’ve found personally.
Advantages
- Carbon fiber props produce less vibration due to their stiffness, and they are more quiet too when spinning.
- Less jello in the video.
- They are lighter and significantly stronger than plastic when crashed, but not indestructible.
- Come balanced straight out of the box (usually).
- Perform well under high RPM (work well with high KV motors).
- Light weight props mean less inertia, thus faster motor speed change, and the control feels more responsive.
Disadvantages
- Expensive!
- Carbon Fiber props have slightly shorter flight time than plastic props of the same size/pitch.
- Less thrust than plastic props.
- Because it’s tough and hard to break when crashed, the motor bearing will take most of the impact.
Experiments on Different Types of Props
Many tests have been done on how good the carbon fiber props are, compared to plastic ones. I have found people reporting back with two different stories. One says carbon fiber props are better , the others say, no, it’s not noticeably better. I think they might be both correct, for their own situations, and the brand/make of the props they have tested. But it’s really not fair to say, “Carbon Fiber props are better”, or “Carbon Fiber props suck”, only based on the 2 sets of propellers you bought randomly off the internet.
Also, the propellers need to be balanced well before the tests, otherwise, it would be meaningless. I notice many of these tests were using a cell phone for vibration measuring, which is not accurate at all (as it misses some vibration frequency bands).
Wooden Props
Personally, I have not tried these types of props. I don’t think wood props are popular either in the multicopter world, since they are expensive and heavy.
I think they might work well for FPV aerial photography with larger and more powerful multicopters, but might not be as good for aerobatics/stunt flying because of the increase in rotation momentum due to heavier weight that makes them less responsive to changes in motor speed.
Conclusion
In my experience, CF props are better, but there are so many cheap copies that have not been properly tested that they might do more harm than good. The carbon fiber propellers are worth trying, but be sure to purchase from reputable suppliers. For instance, suppliers from the likes of solvay process and design materials that can deliver innovative customer solutions that maximize technology capability and simplify manufacturing.
Nevertheless, the funny fact is that carbon fiber props are actually made of plastic-based materials impregnating some carbon fiber and plastic is also carbon-based. I would recommend trying CF props out if the budget permits. It might improve your flight experience, but it’s not an “essential” upgrade. If you are a beginner just learning to fly, plastic props are more than good enough, as you are likely to crash and break many props before mastering the skills.