Editing Contra-rotating propellers (section)

===United Kingdom===
[[File:Supermarine Spitfire XIX vr.jpg|thumb|right|Contra-rotating propellers of a [[Supermarine Spitfire|Spitfire]] Mk XIX]]

A contra-rotating propeller was patented by [[Frederick W. Lanchester|F. W. Lanchester]] in 1907.<ref>{{cite magazine |given=F. W. |surname=Lanchester |volume=40 |number=1720 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1941/1941%20-%202944.html |title=Contra-props: Recollections of early considerations by advisory committee for aeronautics: A pioneer's 1907 patent: Suggestions for further research |magazine=Flight |access-date=3 November 2015 |date=December 11, 1941 |pages=418–419}}</ref>

Some of the more successful British aircraft with contra-rotating propellers are the [[Avro Shackleton]], powered by the [[Rolls-Royce Griffon]] engine, and the [[Fairey Gannet]], which used the [[Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba|Double Mamba Mk.101]] engine. In the Double Mamba two separate power sections drove one propeller each, allowing one power section (engine) to be shut down in flight, increasing endurance.

Another naval aircraft, the [[Westland Wyvern]] had contra-rotating propellers. The [[Martin-Baker MB 5]] test aircraft also used this propeller type.

Later variants of the [[Supermarine Spitfire]] and [[Supermarine Seafire|Seafire]] used the Griffon with contra-rotating props. In the Spitfire/Seafire and Shackleton's case the primary reason for using contra-rotating propellers was to increase the propeller blade-area, and hence absorb greater engine power, within a propeller diameter limited by the height of the aircraft's [[Landing gear|undercarriage]]. The [[Short Sturgeon]] used two Merlin 140s with contra-rotating propellers.

The [[Bristol Brabazon]] prototype airliner used eight [[Bristol Centaurus]] engines driving four pairs of contra-rotating propellers, each engine driving a single propeller.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |section-url=http://www.aviationarchive.org.uk/stories/getobjectstory.php?rnum=g1526&enum=GE121&pnum=4&maxp=9 |section=Brabazon engine layout |url=http://www.aviationarchive.org.uk/stories/storycontents.php?enum=GE121 |title=The Bristol Brabazon - Engineering masterpiece or Great White Elephant |encyclopedia=Aviation Archive: Aviation Heritage |access-date=3 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923180801/http://www.aviationarchive.org.uk/stories/storycontents.php?enum=GE121 |archive-date=23 September 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The post-war [[Saunders-Roe Princess|SARO Princess]] prototype flying boat airliner also had eight of its ten engines driving contra-rotating propellers.