Definition
A British term for an aircraft propeller. An airscrew is a rotating set of blades, driven by an engine, that produces thrust by accelerating a mass of air rearward.
Plain English
Another name for a propeller. It's the spinning set of blades on the front of many small aircraft that pulls the airplane forward through the air.
Context Anchor
Seen in older aviation writing, maintenance references, and some British aviation usage where “airscrew” means “propeller.”
Derivation
From 'air' plus 'screw.' A propeller blade is shaped like a screw thread, and as it turns it 'screws' itself forward through the air, much like a wood screw advances through wood as it rotates. The term reflects the early understanding that a propeller works by threading its way through the air.
Why Pilots Care
The airscrew is the sole source of thrust on most piston and turboprop airplanes, directly affecting takeoff distance, climb rate, and cruise speed.
Intuition Check
Do not read “airscrew” as a small threaded fastener. In aviation, it means the aircraft propeller.
Example Sentence 1
The vintage British training manual referred to the propeller as the 'airscrew' throughout.
Example Sentence 2
Early biplanes often used fixed-pitch wooden airscrews that could not be adjusted in flight.