1938 42 380 The engine r.p.m. can with advantage be increased until the tip speed of the airscrew approaches the speed of sound, at which speed there are serious tip losses which reduce the thrust. Thin bladed metal airscrews show less tip loss due to high speed than the thicker sections.
1969 (B.S.I.) iv. 15 Tip loss, loss of lift at the tip of an aerofoil associated with the formation of tip vortices.