"Two screw propellers, a normal airplane propeller with a pitch/diameter ratio H/D = 0.5 and a helicopter propeller H/D = 0.2 were tested in the large wind tunnel of the Gottigen Aerodynamic Institute. With both propellers the angle between the propeller axis and the direction of the wind was varied from 0 to 90 degrees. In addition to the three force and the three moment components in a wind-fast coordinate system, the corresponding components in a propeller-fast coordinate system, a total of six force and six moment components, together with the propulsive efficiency, were measured or calculated from measurements" (p. 1).

In order to demonstrate the importance of free-wheeling propellers, this report considers the braking effect of a propeller on a stopped engine when the propeller is rigidly connected with the engine shaft and also when mounted on a free-wheel hub. The cases of propellers of asymmetric and symmetric section are discussed. The author describes the mechanism of the free-wheel propeller as constructed for this test. The results obtained with the device mounted on a 1,000 horsepower two-engine airplane are given.

One of the serious sources of difficulties in variable pitch propellers is the turning moment or torque due to the centrifugal force which tends to bring the mean plane of the blades into the plane of rotation. This moment, which is found elsewhere only in propellers with removable blades, is so great that the aerodynamic forces, as regards their effect on the torsion, become entirely negligible in comparison with it. This report presents the Ratier Company's solution to changing the pitch of airplane propellers.

The limitation of the 1929 contest to performance gliders necessitated the establishment of a formula which would make it possible to distinguish between performance gliders and school and training gliders. The sinking speed was therefore adopted as the basis for such a distinction, and the requirement was made that the sinking speed of a performance glider should not exceed 0.8 m/s. The rest of the report details the different entries with regard to design and performance.