# Propellors: Ship versus airplane

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propellors-ship-versus-airplane/536881>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 21, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propellors-ship-versus-airplane/536881 "2010-04-21T17:21:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propellors-ship-versus-airplane/536881/41 "2011-05-10T22:27:58Z")

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> [@Cosmic Relief](#):
>
> One advantage for forward-mounted airplane props is that the landing gear doesn’t kick up debris into them. A secondary concern, certainly, but not unimportant.

A factor in watercraft also. A forward mounted propellor on a boat would be plowing directly into any debris in the water, which could damage the prop or get fouled in it. The boat should cut a path through floating debris and leave comparatively cleaner water at the rear for the prop to work in.

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**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propellors-ship-versus-airplane/536881/42 "2011-05-10T22:46:36Z")

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> [@HeyHomie](#):
>
> FWIW, I’ve seen a plane with a propeller behind the cockpit. It was at a fly-in of private pilots at [SPI](http://www.flyspi.com). It was a teeny-tiny experimental, probably home-built, craft of some sort. About the size of a Mazda Miata.

Sounds like a [Long-EZ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutan_Long-EZ) or its predecessor the [VariEze](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VariEze).

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