REFLECTOR:MT Prop went missing

[Jim Sower]

<... leading edge stone damage leading to sudden failure of the remainder of the blade
....>
Actually, it seems we're looking at apples and oranges here.  From the photos, I can't
see how anything off the airplane could reach that far out on the prop.  Now if his
main mount kicked up a big ol' double edge ax blade, that might explain it.  Stone?
No way.  FOD never makes a clean cut.  I've had a whole lot of stuff through my prop.
Once a 4" x 10" hunk of .020 stainless.  It did NOT make a clean cut.  Gouged out a
big divot (wood prop), but nothing even remotely clean.  From what I could see of the
picture, and it being waaaay outboard, my guess is this thing is a lot more about
higher math than sticks and stones.
Just a theory .... Jim S.

Greg Poole wrote:

> I think Dave & Jim S.  might be on the right track in terms of leading edge
> stone damage leading to sudden failure of the remainder of the blade. We
> didn't see any crushing of the blades & it would be hard to  believe that
> two prop blades would be equally hit with exactly the sharp edge of anything
> to prevent at least some crushing occurring. Absolutely nothing was missing
> from the engine bay that might have gone thru the prop & the LAME (-
> licensed aviation mech'l engineer) who looked after the full servicing of
> the IO540 powered XL (and who built nearly all of it) was an exceptionally
> careful individual.
>
> The wood laminations of the prop blades also tend to confuse what we are
> looking at in terms of damage.  I wonder how brittle the wood is once the SS
> leading edge and fibreglass wrap are compromised?
>
> Somebody mentioned Hoffman props as a potential option as seen on a Defiant
> but I have not seen these used anywhere else. If they are of metal
> construction then I remember reading that such are not used in the clean and
> disturbed air behind canards due to significant metal fatigue problems....
>
> Greg in Sydney
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jim Sower" <canarder@frontiernet.net>
> To: <reflector@tvbf.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 10:16 AM
> Subject: Re: REFLECTOR:MT Prop went missing
>
> > I had 6" of exhaust pipe go through my Catto.  Main dink wasn't big enough
> to hold the
> > last knuckle of my pinkie.  Next blade had a scratch that I've seen made
> by cowl
> > screws on other props.
> > ALL HAIL CATTO ... Jim S.
> >
> > Scott Derrick wrote:
> >
> > > Geeze, that's almost catastrophic damage!
> > >
> > > I had a 3/8 bolt go through my Cato and it just dinged it real good!
> > >
> > > Scott
> > >
> > > At 02:57 PM 4/4/2004, you wrote:
> > > >Chuck,
> > > >
> > > > > I guess that answers the question whether a stone strike, or
> something
> > > > > similar, could cause loss of a blade, or at least a portion of it.
> Since
> > > > > photos were taken of it in a hangar, it's reasonable to conclude
> that the
> > > > > plane returned in one piece.
> > > >
> > > >Yes. The Velocity landed safely. Greg was on board when it happened. He
> is not
> > > >sure if the prop strike damage occurred on takeoff (stone, bar or
> runway
> > > >light) or whether a loose object such as a ruler may have departed
> during
> > > >flight. But whatever it was, it must have been reasonably large and
> massive to
> > > >have done this much damage.
> > > >
> > > >Dave Black
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> > --
> > Jim Sower ... Destiny's Plaything
> > Crossville, TN; Chapter 5
> > Long-EZ N83RT, Velocity N4095T
> >
> >
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--
Jim Sower ... Destiny's Plaything
Crossville, TN; Chapter 5
Long-EZ N83RT, Velocity N4095T