Gemfan Propeller Size Guide and Compatibility Chart

Selecting the correct propeller size is one of the most consequential decisions in any UAV build, directly influencing thrust output, endurance, noise levels, and flight stability. Gemfan Hobby Co., Ltd., established in 2012 and headquartered in Ningbo, Zhejiang, China, has built its fifteen-year presence in the UAV propeller sector around solving exactly this challenge. With a product portfolio covering the full propeller size spectrum from 3 inches to 22 inches and a cumulative library of 1700+ propeller models, GEMFAN offers builders, pilots, and OEM manufacturers a size-and-compatibility framework that spans nearly every multi-rotor and fixed-wing application in existence.

H2: Why Propeller Size and Compatibility Matter

As the UAV industry shifts from consumer entertainment toward industrial applications, the low-altitude economy, and intelligent operations, propeller systems face demands that a single standardized size can no longer satisfy. Blade fracture, insufficient endurance, image distortion from the “jello effect” at high RPM, and power loss at high altitudes are all core bottlenecks tied directly to mismatched propeller sizing and airfoil design. GEMFAN addresses this through advanced aerodynamic optimization, novel composite material development, and precision manufacturing, delivering tailor-made propeller solutions across FPV racing, industrial inspection, VTOL, and high-speed UAV platforms.

H2: Micro and Indoor Propeller Sizes

For builders working with the smallest airframes, GEMFAN’s Toothpick Propellers cover the 2 to 3.5-inch range, engineered specifically for lightweight micro platforms. These blades use ultra-thin blade tip design and airfoil thinning technology to reduce moment of inertia, resolving the core contradiction between weight reduction and power output. The representative model in this category is the Bash 3.5.

Moving further into indoor micro applications, GEMFAN’s Micro/Indoor Whoop Propellers are sized between 31mm and 63mm, built with high-strength PC material and flexible molecular structure optimization for impact resistance. Within this line, the 1207 model stands as the world’s lightest Whoop propeller at 0.15g per piece, specifically optimized for 1207 and similar micro motors to minimize moment of inertia.

The GEMFAN Ducted Propellers D Series extends compatibility across D2, D2.2, D2.5, D2.8, D3, and D3.5 variants, covering 2-inch to 3.5-inch ducted models. This series addresses indoor flight challenges including blade breakage from collisions, safety risks of open propellers, and the jello effect in video footage, through a ducted structure that suppresses tip vortex noise and constrains airflow.

H2: FPV Racing and Freestyle Compatibility

GEMFAN’s core strength lies in the 5-inch category, which anchors both its FPV Racing Propellers and Freestyle Propellers lines. The FPV 5-inch Racing Propellers are lightweight power components built for high-intensity competition, featuring optimized low moment of inertia design with thinned airfoils and inward center of gravity. Representative models such as MJ 5129.2, YUKI 5129, and TB 5127.9 were developed jointly with global champion pilots to integrate practical racing feedback directly into blade design.

Freestyle Propellers, also built around the 5-inch format, prioritize linear power delivery and smooth control response for maneuvers like rolls, hang-time, and inverted flight. GEMFAN organizes this line into distinct tuning categories—Bando, Flow, SBANG, and Juicy—with representative products including Proxy 5127.5, SBANG2 4935, 4934, F3S, and F4S, allowing pilots to match propeller feel to their individual flying style within the same size class.

H2: Cinematic and Heavy-Lift Propeller Sizing

For aerial photography and heavy-lift operations, GEMFAN’s Cinelifter series spans a broader size range. The Cinelifter Cinematic/Heavy-lift Propellers cover 8 to 18 inches, engineered for cinema-grade aerial photography with stable imaging-grade dynamic balance and high-altitude aerodynamic adaptation optimized for environments above 3000 meters.

The Cinelifter Folding Propeller Series covers 8 to 16 inches, designed for portability. In the folded state, storage diameter shrinks to the size of the blade root hub, reducing transport case volume by about 40 percent while maintaining thrust efficiency and flight stability close to straight-blade counterparts once unfolded.

At the largest end of the multi-rotor spectrum, the Cinelifter Industrial Heavy-lift Propellers are available in 16-inch, 17-inch, 18-inch, 20-inch, and 22-inch sizes. This range adopts a large-diameter, low-pitch configuration that expands disk area and improves thrust output per unit power, with tested thrust efficiency increased by more than 12 percent. This size range covers takeoff weights as high as 16kg for quadcopters, supporting industrial tasks such as spraying, surveying, logistics, and rescue, while maintaining stable hovering and cruising in wind forces of level 5-7.

H2: Fixed-Wing and High-Speed Propeller Compatibility

GEMFAN’s fixed-wing offerings extend size compatibility even further. The VORTEX Gray Electric Fixed-wing Propellers cover 5 to 22 inches across 138 models, adaptable to various fixed-wing or multi-axis UAV platforms, with a patented frosted leading-edge surface treatment that delays airflow separation at high speeds.

The VORTEX High-speed UAV Propellers are organized by blade count and size: the 2-blade series ranges from 5×7.5E/R to 16×12E/R, covering 5 to 16 inches with dual E/R rotation options, while the 3-blade series spans 5.1×5×3E/R to 8×13×3E/R, covering 5 to 8 inches, also with dual E/R rotation. A special wide-blade model, the 7×15BN E/R, is also available. This sizing structure supported the aerodynamic performance behind a Guinness World Record of 358.36 km/h achieved by a micro-UAV using GEMFAN high-performance propellers.

H2: Specialized Competitive Series Compatibility

For UAV Soccer applications governed by the F9A event format, GEMFAN produces dedicated propellers including the 5155, 5055S, 2828, and 3026 models, each optimized for the ball cage environment and high-frequency collision resistance specific to that competition format.

H2: Matching the Right Size Through OEM/ODM Support

Because propeller sizing must align precisely with motor characteristics, frame design, and mission requirements, GEMFAN backs its size catalog with a One-stop UAV Propeller OEM/ODM Customization Service. This service includes requirement analysis and system matching, CFD simulation and aerodynamic optimization, material development, and mold development, allowing manufacturers to move from concept to mass production using GEMFAN’s vertically integrated 7000㎡ factory and 60+ design patents.Learn More:www.gemfanhobby.com

With 1700+ models spanning 3 to 22 inches, GEMFAN provides a size and compatibility framework detailed enough for FPV racing, freestyle flying, indoor micro platforms, cinematic heavy-lift operations, industrial applications, and fixed-wing systems alike, all backed by ISO 9001:2015 certification and recognition as a National High-tech Enterprise.