Prop failure....... Have you had one??

[ThePledge]

I forget to take a picture, but it was more chunk than blade shaped. Scary if it few that far. Right in the middle of the field.

 

[AsphaltPilot]

Well mine fail me when it hits the ground...But had a new wood prop split after that I inspect them very well before buying or using them..when there new we take it for granite there good not always..

 

[Astrohog]

Had one happen at my field this weekend.....was scary!!!

I don't know the details because it happened up at the FOG end of the field and I don't venture up there unless I have too!

POS warbird owned by a guy that is very experienced but all of his planes are cobbled-together with the cheapest components known to man was on the bench running it up when.......CRACK!!!!........prop blade barely missed my buddies who were flying at a pilot station about 100 ft away.

Regards,

Astro

 

[Terryscustom]

Had one happen at my field this weekend.....was scary!!!
I don't know the details because it happened up at the FOG end of the field and I don't venture up there unless I have too!
POS warbird owned by a guy that is very experienced but all of his planes are cobbled-together with the cheapest components known to man was on the bench running it up when.......CRACK!!!!........prop blade barely missed my buddies who were flying at a pilot station about 100 ft away.

Wow, glad I only had one wood prop and now it's gone!

 

[Jetpainter]

We had a guy with a nice ME109 loose the blades on take off. It was a scale three blade. I had forgotten about that one. The memory is the first thing to go...... as far as I can remember.

 

[49dimes]

@Terryscustom Idea with the motor mount comes to mind here. Wood props get their hubs "crushed". The risk of a grain split IMO is huge. That's the biggest reason I do not use them. However if "stand off" inserts were provided for the common bolt diameters for the engine then maybe we would not see so much of this. The popular "bench mark" props for a particular brand could have the hubs pre drilled and inserts installed. IMHO props have always carried the biggest "liability" in the model sport and I think manufacturers need to step up to the plate.

 

[Bunky.F.Knuckle]

Have used wood props for many a year, both with and without crushed hubs. Never had a failure.

To eliminate crushing of beechwood props, I went to a laminate prop. I have 1 Beechwood prop, its a Falcon 30x12.

I found over torquing prop bolts will crush a beechwood hub. I noticed that when using an L wrench. I have since went to a large handle ball briver. One could even use a T handle. With the above method, I have never had a prop come loose or shear prop bolts. No torque wrench here. But I do have my wrist calibrated yearly.

 

[Bunky.F.Knuckle]

@Terryscustom The popular "bench mark" props for a particular brand could have the hubs pre drilled and inserts installed.

Novel idea, but everyone indexes their props differently.

 

[Terryscustom]

@Terryscustom Idea with the motor mount comes to mind here. Wood props get their hubs "crushed".

I was going to say this way back at the beginning but I was already told sternly that the dowels added no compression strength. I would probably not modify a prop though, it would have to be glued extremely well with a slow cure adhesive. Further indicating the importance of carbon props or laminated props like Bunky suggests.

 

[Jetpainter]

But I do have my wrist calibrated yearly.

I have a calibrated eyeball I use at work all the time.