REFLECTOR: FOD

[Tom]

The first 10 hours on my fixed gear were flown without fairings (as per 
the handbook for help slowing on final). Pretty much every flight I 
would have dings on prop since homebase runway is a WWII concrete ramp 
that regurgitates lots of concrete and aggregate. After putting the 
wheelpants on, the problem virtually disappeared.
(I had tried the taxi with the belly door down suggestion-no 
improvement--I think the mains were mostly doing it)...Tom

Douglas Holub wrote:
>/ I've only got about 55 hours on my Velocity but I've had to fix dings
/>/ in the propeller 4 times already. I only land on asphalt runways.
/>/ After 500 hours my beautiful propeller will probably have 40 filled in
/>/ dings. It's a black carbon-fiber-over-maple Prince P-Tip prop.
/>/
/>/ I wish I could use a metal prop. I've started keeping the speed brake
/>/ down when I taxi to keep stuff from the nose wheel hitting the propeller.
/>/
/>/ Doug Holub
/>/ Standard FG w/ electric nose lift
/