teknosmurf
Well-Known Member
I currently have a composite prop that I am not very fond of, and I want to switch to a wood prop. The composit is 64" long, and I estimate about 48" pitch (it is an adjustable prop).
I have access to a 60"x60" wood prop. This would give me some much desired extra ground clearance (the 64" gives me about 5" of clearance currently). Also, after running the different props through a calculator, I see the performance difference should be more cruise speed, but less thrust.
Now...I have read that thrust numbers are not very informative. So I take that reading with a grain of salt.
The travel speed is estimated to go from 120mph to 155mph. This indicates possibly the difference of going from climb to cruise prop...not necessarily a bad thing.
Also, the "required horsepower" goes from about 150HP, to about 109HP in these calculations, which is more inline with my 100HP O-200.
My questions are: Is there anything I should be concerned with when putting a 60" prop on a setup that was typically designed for a 68" prop? What kind of realistic aircraft performance characteristic chages should I expect to encounter should I try this particular set of prop changes? Are there any other "pitfalls" to be aware of when doing the test flying?
Thanks for the thoughts!
I have access to a 60"x60" wood prop. This would give me some much desired extra ground clearance (the 64" gives me about 5" of clearance currently). Also, after running the different props through a calculator, I see the performance difference should be more cruise speed, but less thrust.
Now...I have read that thrust numbers are not very informative. So I take that reading with a grain of salt.
The travel speed is estimated to go from 120mph to 155mph. This indicates possibly the difference of going from climb to cruise prop...not necessarily a bad thing.
Also, the "required horsepower" goes from about 150HP, to about 109HP in these calculations, which is more inline with my 100HP O-200.
My questions are: Is there anything I should be concerned with when putting a 60" prop on a setup that was typically designed for a 68" prop? What kind of realistic aircraft performance characteristic chages should I expect to encounter should I try this particular set of prop changes? Are there any other "pitfalls" to be aware of when doing the test flying?
Thanks for the thoughts!
