The effect of key design parameters including laminate lay-up, stud geometry and advance coefficient on the structural response of a large composite marine propeller is investigated. The deflection patterns are evaluated for three different propeller loading conditions, four different carbon/epoxy composite constructions and three different blade-hub attachment studs. The displacement patterns show how these factors affect the deflection experienced by composite blades. The twist of the blade sections for a given propeller loading condition, hence the rate of change of pitch, is shown to be related to the mechanical properties of the laminate and the stud geometry. Results suggest that, by taking into account the laminate lay-up and the whole propeller operational range, a desired blade deflection pattern can be achieved if the material design is embedded into the structural and hydrodynamic design. Hydroelastic effects can be positively exploited to dynamically vary the blade pitch with a potential increase of the propeller hydrodynamic performance.

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