Scimitar propeller

In the early 1900s, as established by the French aeronautical inventor Lucien Chauvière and his commercial success with his scimitar-shaped Integrale propeller design,[1] they were made of laminated wood.

The combination of light weight and efficient aerodynamics results in more power and reduced noise.

[2] According to the same principles that govern swept wings in high-speed aircraft, propeller blades can be swept back in order to mitigate wave drag, thus allowing them to remain efficient at higher rotational speeds.

Since these forms of propulsion are capable of driving a propeller at transsonic or supersonic rotational speeds, as well as propelling aircraft to similarly high speeds, mitigation of wave drag is an important consideration in achieving high aerodynamic efficiency.

Propfans often feature scimitar blades as they typically operate at high rotational speeds.