Thorp Air Command - T18.net

I think I have decided I want an aluminum fixed pitch prop for a Lycoming 0-360 180hp engine. If you have an aluminum prop that your ready to get rid of, email or private message me.

I like flying through light rain and drizzle. its so smooth calm and most of all........its quiet on the radio. My wood prop just cant stand up to light rain even with the rpm's pulled back. Its going to cost me $500 to get it refinished.

What kind of wood prop do you have?
Cubes

forgot to mention, I have a Lycoming 180hp 0-360...

I have a "performance propellers" prop, which gives great performance. It does have leading edge protection, but over that leading edge protection is a paint job. the paint chips off at the tips, leaving the leading edge protection showing. I have talked to Frank (owner of Perf. Props) and he is wonderful. He said I could keep flying with it the way it is as long as the leading edge protection was intact, and wood wasn't showing through. But I just cant leave my prop looking that way for too long without getting the paint refinished. Its looks baad...

You may wan to contact Cubes, he is a Hartzell dealer and has very good pricing

How about using some leading edge prop tape to protect it ?

RB

Ryan,
Have you considered the Whirlwind composite ground adjustable prop? Gary Jacobsen and I have one on our aircraft and love em. In Sept '15 the cost was $2600, just another data point.

_________________
Bruce Finney
N18JF T-18C #262
Yelm, WA USA

I hadn't thought about prop tape. Too late now I guess. If I get my prop refurbished, I will likely do that. I hadn't really thought about composite. I'm not that familiar with them and how they fare in the rain. If they stand up to rain like aluminum props, and I can get one for $2,600, that may be the ticket. I'll have to check into that.

Years ago when the T18 first flew Sensenich developed a wooden prop that resembled an airboat prop for the T18. A few years ago Sensenich redeigned and made an aluminum prop that is more conventional looking prop useing the wooden props specs. I have seen a couple around but don't know the performance figures. I have flown with the wooden prop and it performed good.

I have had that Sensenich prop on my T18 for 27 years and still going OK. It's a W66LM76 and it originally had a brass leading edge until one day I flew through some very heavy rain and by the time I got on the ground the brass had migrated about 1/4" out board and the unprotected area between the brass and the spinner had about a 1/2" bite out of it! Prop was repaired by removing the brass and dressing the damaged areas and then applying a really tough urethane leading edge and the last 4" to tip has an aluminium Devcon epoxy leading edge insert. Has flown like this for 12 yrs and have been in rain which has caused little trouble. Have built up the Devcon only once and that was last year at annuals. The fragile part of a wooden prop is the leading edge so if a suitable resilient material such as urethane can be used it can withstand light rain with no ill effects.
Tony Schischka
T18C #867
ZK-VMS

Meant to include in my previous post a couple of downside of fitting metal prop.
1. its double the weight of the wooden prop and if you go variable and CSU you are looking at 40 to 50 lb increase.
2. If you have the unfortunate pleasure of wacking something with the prop the wooden one will shatter and sacrifice it self to save the engine. Do that with a metal prop and you are looking at a bulk strip and a 90% chance of a bent prop flange.

My 2 cents worth.
Tony S