hotrod180 wrote:Curious as to relative costs...
2-blade MT vs 3-blade MT vs composite Voyager
Why not compare a Volkswagen to a pineapple? That's be just as relevant. LOL
The 2B is in a different camp. The 3B MT vs the metal Voyager is apples and oranges. There is no question that the metal Voyager outperforms the 3B MT; but its heavier... the weight savings with the MT along with its smoothness is the value proposition for the MT. It also spools incredibly fast and is fun to fly behind, not to mention that cool sound.
With the new composite Hartz, the question is what is the weight/performance/price difference between the two 3B composites? But more importantly, how the Voyager is going to work with starter adapters.
From where I sit, the important questions for the new Hartzell are: 1) is there less risk of getting stuck with a broken adapter 2) is the performance better 3) if yes, than is the juice worth the squeeze?
Before any composites were in my mind, there was no doubt that the 401 Black Mac was king... but it was too heavy for my 180, so I put on an MT around a decade ago. I was flying a 2B MT, then went with a 3B MT. That juice was not worth the squeeze, so I went back to the 2B. I loved that prop, but saw too many adapters breaking despite the remedies that have been discussed... so I decided that the metal Voyager would be the prop for me... but with that prop, the CG is right up against it as it was with the 401, so what to do?
This is obvious... but I'm excited with the composite Voyager because I can take advantage of the lightness while having the performance of the Voyager blade... it will get the CG back closer to where I want it to be, and the Wagon "should" fly more like the engineers originally designed it to do. This is the most important to me.
Would I like the better performance of the metal Voyager if it is indeed better, with the added bonus of being $10k less?? Absolutely. But... in my case, with a heavily modified and gutted "utility" style wagon, my particular CG will benefit more from getting the airplane back where it should be. On paper, it's looking like that for me, the juice "will" be worth the squeeze, with one caveat: Along with selling MT's, I am a Hartzell dealer, and did not pay retail for the prop. I'm under no obligation to have an opinion either way, but this definitely makes running any of these props an easier decision to make.
All this said, this is just conjecture at this point, and just 0.2 from a guy who has too many opinions and can be, from time to time, susceptible to hyperbole. I should have my composite here in 6 weeks... Right now its the cobblers kids... I've a new engine to get sorted, a MK11 panel finished, and the bird back up in the air... but God willing and the creek don'r rise, I should have something substantive to contribute sooner rather than later instead of waxing poetic on anecdotal theory.
