Definition
A cockpit lever, knob, or quadrant control connected to the propeller governor that allows the pilot to set the desired propeller speed (RPM) on a constant-speed propeller. Moving the control adjusts the governor's speeder spring tension, which in turn commands the governor to change blade angle and maintain the selected RPM.
Plain English
The lever in the cockpit that lets the pilot choose how fast the propeller spins. The pilot picks an RPM, and the propeller system automatically adjusts the blade angle to hold that speed.
Context Anchor
You see this term when studying blade angle control and when learning how the propeller control fits with the throttle and mixture controls in the cockpit.
Derivation
“Propeller” comes from a Latin word meaning “to drive forward.” That helps here because this control affects how the propeller blades bite the air to drive the airplane forward.
Why Pilots Care
Correct positioning prevents engine overspeed, optimizes fuel efficiency and performance across flight phases, and enables rapid feathering during engine failure to reduce drag.
Intuition Check
Do not read “propeller control” as the propeller itself. Here it means the cockpit control the pilot moves to command how the propeller system behaves.
Example Sentence 1
After engine start, the pilot moved the flight deck propeller control through its full range to cycle the propeller and confirm the governor was working.
Example Sentence 2
After the engine failure, the pilot pulled the flight deck propeller control aft to feather the propeller.