What controls the blade angle of a propeller when operating in the beta range?

What controls the blade angle of a propeller when operating in the beta range?

• A. The engine throttle setting.
• B. The position of the power lever.
• C. The propeller governor RPM setting.
• D. Manual feathering switch.

Answer: (B)

In beta range, blade angle is driven directly by the power lever position. This allows the pilot to set the prop pitch for reverse or braking/taxiing actions without relying on the engine throttle or the governor to control pitch. The throttle simply controls engine power, not the blade angle in this range. The propeller governor normally maintains a set RPM by changing pitch, but in beta the pitch follows the power lever rather than the governor. The manual feathering switch is used to move blades to a feathered, low-drag condition in specific situations, not to control blade angle during beta operation.

In beta range, blade angle is driven directly by the power lever position. This allows the pilot to set the prop pitch for reverse or braking/taxiing actions without relying on the engine throttle or the governor to control pitch. The throttle simply controls engine power, not the blade angle in this range. The propeller governor normally maintains a set RPM by changing pitch, but in beta the pitch follows the power lever rather than the governor. The manual feathering switch is used to move blades to a feathered, low-drag condition in specific situations, not to control blade angle during beta operation.