Autoprop
Description
Best performance in sailing gaits
Thanks to the automatic pitch of its blades and their design, Autoprop distributed in Italy by Sigmadrive offers the best performance at any engine speed and very low drag in sailing gaits.
Autoprop blades are designed by Brunton’s Propellers for the specific power and speed characteristics of your yacht. Hydrodynamic variables and centrifugal force set the correct blade position. As the engine speed changes, the blades change their orientation, providing the best pitch and angle of attack for water flow in both forward and reverse gear. This feature translates in a practical sense into a significant increase in cruising speed at any engine speed and a reduction in fuel consumption at the same speed compared with other propellers on the market.
The advantages of Autoprop:
- By installing Autoprop you will get better performance at all engine speeds than any other properly calculated propeller on the market.
- You will get the same cruising speed at significantly lower engine speeds (usually between 200 and 600 lower engine revolutions), which means reduced vibration and noise and greater fuel economy (-30%).
- Improved boat maneuverability and very low reverse stop times due to the fact that the blades rotate 180° and offer the same performance as forward gear.
- Significant decrease in the evolutionary effect of the propeller in reverse.
- Reduction in propeller resistance by up to 95% compared to a fixed blade propeller during sailing (1/2 to 1 more knot).
- Combined Sail/Motor navigation at minimal engine speeds, ideal for sailing transfers with little wind.
- Installing the propeller is very simple and takes only a few minutes, as if it were a traditional propeller.
- The special Yanmar- and Volvo-approved and Saildrive millerisk shaft-length cotter insert inside the propeller housing allows in emergencies to “save” the transmission from sudden shocks.
Sailing with Autoprop
All you have to do is turn off the engine while cruising in forward gear and leave the gear engaged. The blades will automatically “flag” position themselves, offering minimal resistance to water flow (with the 2-blade up to 95 percent less than a fixed propeller).
How to maneuver with Autoprop?
Because of varying pitch automatically, maneuvering is different from conventional propellers. First, in most cases, there is a significant decrease in propeller advance. This unique feature of Autoprop, allows full engine power to be used even in situations such as towing, or emergency. With conventional propellers, the pitch is too large at very low speeds, and the motor cannot reach its full revolutions; therefore, maximum thrust is not achievable.
WATCH VIDEO:
https://www.youtube.com/user/BruntonsPropellers
Some impressions from Autoprop customers
http://www.sigmadrive.it/1/customer_testimonials_838295.html
