Variable Blade Pitch Propeller Assembly

A propeller assembly for use with an aircraft having a motor output driven to rotate by a motor of the aircraft, the propeller assembly comprising:

• a main hub member arranged to be coupled in fixed relation to the motor output of the aircraft for rotation therewith about a main axis in a forward direction of rotation;
• a propeller hub member supported on the main hub member so as to be movable relative to the main hub member about the main axis in a second direction opposite to the forward direction of rotation between a first position and a second position which is circumferentially offset from the first position;
• a biasing mechanism arranged to bias the propeller hub relative to the main hub member from the second position towards the first position;
• a plurality of propeller blades supported on the propeller hub member at circumferentially spaced apart positions about the main axis so as to extend generally radially outward from the main axis;
• the propeller blades being movable together with the propeller hub member relative to the main hub member between the first position and the second position;
• and
• the propeller blades each being pivotal about a respective radial axis between a respective first pitch orientation and a respective second pitch orientation;
• and
• a pitch linkage mechanism operatively connected between each propeller blade and the main hub member such that each propeller blade is pivotal from the respective first pitch orientation to the respective second pitch orientation together with movement of the propeller hub member relative to the main hub member from the first position to the second position responsive to air resistance in the second direction exceeding a biasing force of the biasing mechanism acting in the forward direction.