Thanks Motoadve!

DP, that looks great!

That sure is a nice plane you have there DP. I will be interested to see how your prop performs and holds up to dirt strips and the Alaska elements in general.

SkyLarkin wrote:That sure is a nice plane you have there DP. I will be interested to see how your prop performs and holds up to dirt strips and the Alaska elements in general.

Those props hold up just fine in the Alaska elements. I had the first one approved on a Husky in the US and worked it extensively on floats and wheels, including a significant amount of gravel and off airport in northern Alaska.

It worked so well I bought one for my own airplane. And I'd go there again in a heartbeat. They are great props.

Now, if you get your airplane upside down on a gravel bar like a pilot alleged to be a flight instructor did with my last Husky, that prop will disintegrate when you strike the gravel bar with it. But......that prop prevented damage to the very expensive crankshaft, and a metal prop subjected to the same treatment would have been junk as well, AND probably would have taken the crank with it.

They are great props, regardless of how incompetent the pilot is.

MTV

SkyLarkin wrote:That sure is a nice plane you have there DP. I will be interested to see how your prop performs and holds up to dirt strips and the Alaska elements in general.

Thanks! I'll be interested to track the MT in real-world conditions too. You definitely hear advocates and detractors. The pilots that I personally put the most stock in fall pretty heavily on the advocate side. Like my friend with nearly 30,000 hours of primarily Alaska survey work. Even if it didn't hold up as long, I'd still consider things like thrust, 25 lb weight savings, smooth running and crankshaft insurance like MTV noted to be significant offsets. And lesser stuff like reduced heat conductivity, and JB-weld ding repair doesn't hurt either. I guess I'll find out soon enough.
Cheers,

-DP

I guess I'll throw my vote in here for painting the tips red, also! The pin stripe treatment on the second example you showed was a fine-looking touch, I thought. If we end up getting a Sportsman and WingX for our 185 anytime soon, I'm going to be advocating for something similar. I love red and white airplanes

denalipilot wrote:lesser stuff like reduced heat conductivity, and JB-weld ding repair doesn't hurt either.

I often find myself cursing the amount of heat my prop conducts, exorbitantly, as if I'm made of free heat!? ... and don't even get me started on it's electrical conductivity!!

Jokes aside, can you tell me why the conductivity is a factor? I don't think I've been told about this before.

When preheating your engine, you lose a lot of heat through your prop if you dont keep it covered.

Battson wrote:

denalipilot wrote:lesser stuff like reduced heat conductivity, and JB-weld ding repair doesn't hurt either.

I often find myself cursing the amount of heat my prop conducts, exorbitantly, as if I'm made of free heat!? ... and don't even get me started on it's electrical conductivity!!

Jokes aside, can you tell me why the conductivity is a factor? I don't think I've been told about this before.

Without getting scientific, because I don't have any hard numbers, It makes it that much easier to preheat the engine (and prop hub), or to hold heat, here in the deep freeze. They make covers for that, but still...
-DP

Twenty or thirty years ago, I conducted a highly scientific experiment during a moose survey in the interior of Alaska. I was curious about how much heat from our engines was dissipated through the prop when the plane was parked, with preheat applied.

We were parking outside, night time temps were in the -30 range, and I was using a catalytic heater to keep the engine warm overnight.

I put a thermometer in the engine compartment, one night with the prop blades covered and the next night without the blades covered.

Long story short, there was from 10 to 15 degrees difference in engine room temps with the blades covered with insulated sleeves.

The place where this is much more important, however, is when you park somewhere there's no electric, cover your engine and go off on a "mission" of some kind, like skiing, or??? If you're gone a little too long, that aluminum prop acts like a really good radiator, transferring heat directly from the crankshaft to the atmosphere. And, that crank is precisely the part of that engine that I want as warm as possible.

Insulated blade covers make a significant difference in how long you can park out in cold temps.

Oh, and the reason I did the test was because some of my fellow pilots were making fun of me for carrying around those blade covers.....every little bit helps when you're operating in butt numbing, finger freezing cold.

Later, Northern Pilot magazine ran an article on similar, but much more precise testing they did, with similar results.

A less scientific test: Go out to your plane in the AM when it's cold and the engine is pre-heated, prop uncovered. You'll never see frost on those prop blades, and at very cold temps, the blades actually feel relatively warm to the touch.

Since wood isn't a very efficient conductor of heat, the MT props really don't need to be covered.

MTV

I use coyote pelts turned inside out with the fur in on my prop while preheating overnight. When I take them off the prop is warm to the touch when the OAT is 10F. I fear that when preheating without prop covers there will be a place on the crank that is cold enough to promote condensation on the crank. The coyotes add style to the parked plane - a bonus.

glad to see the 695 there and in a new home

Regarding the MT prop I have had one for about 400hrs, operating from gravel, dirt, mud , grass, and semi destroyed pavement.
And mine is in a 182, so close to the ground.

No problems, plus its light, smooth , instant acceleration and full pitch for landing its like an airbrake, highly recommend it.

Oh, man....what a tease!

Looking forward to a pirep. Get out your cattle prod and apply it to the backsides of those Chena Marina boys....

MTV

mtv wrote:Oh, man....what a tease!

Looking forward to a pirep. Get out your cattle prod and apply it to the backsides of those Chena Marina boys....

MTV

Most nights he's at work later than I am. But yeah, it's exciting!
-DP

DP,

I am very excited for you, you are going to have a VERY nice airplane when done. Probably won't have any money left!

Don't worry, I will buy ya lunch!

G44/Kurt

G44 wrote:DP,

I am very excited for you, you are going to have a VERY nice airplane when done. Probably won't have any money left!

Don't worry, I will buy ya lunch!

G44/Kurt

Thanks Kurt- I'd love to have lunch together sometime. And you're right, I think my biggest weight savings with this conversion is definitely coming directly from my wallet. Oh well, the unanticipated delays have almost made it like a layaway plan!

Getting closer though!

-DP

Wow, well done DP!

Damn, that looks slick!