Definition
A training condition in a multiengine airplane in which one engine is intentionally set to a low-power, low-drag configuration to imitate the aerodynamic effect of a fully feathered propeller, without actually shutting down the engine or feathering the blades. Typically achieved by reducing power on the selected engine to zero thrust as published in the aircraft flight manual, allowing the pilot to practice single-engine handling while keeping the engine running and immediately available.
Plain English
It is a way of practicing engine-failure flying where the instructor pretends one propeller has been feathered. The engine is throttled back to a setting that produces about the same drag as a feathered prop, but it stays running so it can be used again right away if needed.
Context Anchor
Seen in multiengine training when practicing engine-out procedures, single-engine handling, and demonstrations of airplane control with one engine not helping.
Derivation
Feathering a propeller means rotating the blades edge-on to the wind so they stop turning and produce minimal drag. 'Simulated' means the condition is being imitated rather than actually performed, so the airplane behaves roughly like one with a feathered prop while the engine remains operational.
Why Pilots Care
Lets pilots rehearse single-engine control, minimum control speed, and drag management without the hazards of stopping an engine in flight.
Intuition Check
Simulated does not mean the condition has no effect on the airplane; it means the condition is intentionally made to resemble the real one. Feathered does not mean the propeller is simply stopped; it means the blades are turned to reduce drag.
Example Sentence 1
During the checkride, the examiner reduced the right engine to zero thrust to create a simulated feathered propeller and asked the pilot to maintain heading and altitude.
Example Sentence 2
The pilot practiced maintaining directional control with a simulated feathered propeller on one engine while the other continued to produce thrust.