“Is That a Bird Helicopter?”: What is this airplane propeller about?

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An airplane video went viral on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday. It shows a small, two-bladed propeller unfolding from the belly of the aircraft. The minipropeller then spins as the plane glides through the air.

The X users were instructed to guess what function the propeller fulfills. Many strange answers appear in the comments section. “Birdhawk?” asks one user. Another wrote: “It supplies the pilots’ seats directly with cold air, so they can land fresh.” Yet another speculates that the small propeller serves to dispel fog. Another joked: “Is that a margarita mixer?”

Solving the puzzle

However, there are also serious statements hidden among the many sarcastic comments. One user writes: “The propeller is used when the engines shut down to provide power to important systems in an emergency.” He’s right about that.

The aircraft part is a so-called ram air turbine (RAT). The small turbine serves as a power source in case of emergency. The rotating propeller is connected to an electric generator or a hydraulic pump. In modern aircraft, if the primary power or hydraulic systems fail, the turbine can continue to supply power to critical instrumentation, navigation or communications equipment. (Mrs)

Source: Blick