I Am A Weekend Warrior Now

[Colonel]

Another gorgeous, sunny day in a stream of
endless warm beautiful days with blue sky.

Eric and I got up for some formation aerobatics
east of Mount Diablo. 

[img]http://enlightphoto.com/webpages/Diablo ... 30_750.jpg[/img]

It's weird, avoiding victor airways.

Kid flew fantastic.  Had a very challenging
formation approach in right echelon on the
[i]inside[/i] on a very tight, steep base-to-final
to 25R. 

I kept the speed up and he did a very nice
formation landing on the 100 foot wide runway. 
Not a lot of extra pavement for two blind biplanes.

[img width=500 height=324][/img]

Living the dream, west coast weirdness and
all.  It's a nice place if you like airplanes and
motorcycles and tech.

[Fendermandan]

Nice, how do you like the mt prop?

[Colonel]

I have 3 of them.  They are ok.  Very delicate, but
feather light and will not break the crankshaft during
tailslide, tumbles, torque rolls or aggressive spins
which is a very good thing if you're into those
shenanigans.

They give the nose a very light feel compared to
the 2-blade metal and do not pound the front
bearing inserts into the clamshells, and vastly
reduce the pitch/yaw coupling which makes it
much easier to fly acro at slow speeds.  The tail
is not wagging the dog.

However they flex under G.  The claw does not,
but each claw blade is $19,000 and they have
been known to crack after 800 hours if you up
the RPM.

Not suitable for an aircraft that is parked outside,
or a nosewheel aircraft operated off anything less
than perfect pavement.  Did I say they were delicate?

One nice thing about the MT prop is that it is
completely sacrificial during a prop strike.  You
still have to inspect your engine, but you will not
find any damage from the sudden stoppage.

A good, cheap, delicate prop.  Reduce top speed
compared to the stock 2-blade, but is that really
an issue with a draggy biplane that hits a drag
wall at 185 mph, my normal approach speed? 
Much better thrust at slow speed than 2-blade,
IMHO.

Between the vastly reduced pitch/yaw coupling
and the superior slow-speed thrust, they really
make acro a lot easier, when you're scratching
through that high-alpha.

[Slick Goodlin]

The guts of an MT are pretty neat too if you're into that sort of thing.  I've flown a couple airplanes with them and like the result, though if you pick up a stone on landing it can punch clean through a blade.  The nickel leading edge also tends to remember everything that's ever happened to it.


Oh and they suck in ice, though not a problem on a Pitts.

[Colonel]

Good point.  MT is not a prop for gravel, and I cannot
imagine it in ice.  Get a Hartzell claw for ice.

I never, ever want to even [i]see[/i] ice or snow again,
even miles away in the distance on the mountain tops.
 
People bug me to go skiing in Tahoe. 

[img width=500 height=281]http://www.skilaketahoe.com/wp-content/ ... avenly.jpg[/img]


No thanks.  Why would I want to leave this?

[img width=500 height=424][/img]

A week Tuesday looks a little chiily.  Might need to wear
a long-sleeved t-shirt that day.

[Colonel]

I can't think of any reason to go skiing in Tahoe

[img]https://apresski.files.wordpress.com/20 ... g-pics.jpg[/img]

Not one.

[Slick Goodlin]

[quote author=Colonel Sanders link=topic=7192.msg19530#msg19530 date=1506870757]
MT is not a prop for gravel, and I cannot
imagine it in ice.[/quote]
On gravel you have to ensure the nosewheel is arrow straight on takeoff and landing and don't even go near reverse unless it's to save your ass.

Ice is a little weirder, the fat composite blades hold a ton of ice outboard of the electric de-ice boots and if one blade keeps a gram more than the others it feels like it's going to shake your fillings out.  I bet the engine mount/ wing spar/accessory case/gearbox just loves that.  Metal blades have such a sharp razor edge there's really nothing for ice to hold on to.

Having said that, MTs pull like hell at low speed.

[digits]

[quote author=Colonel Sanders link=topic=7192.msg19530#msg19530 date=1506870757]
Good point.  MT is not a prop for gravel, and I cannot
imagine it in ice.  Get a Hartzell claw for ice.

I never, ever want to even [i]see[/i] ice or snow again,
even miles away in the distance on the mountain tops.
 
[/quote]

Talking about snow and ice, do you know if it is possible to put wheelskis on a pitts? I can't find anyone who has ever done it, but that doesn't mean it is impossible...

Just don't know where to start...

[Colonel]

Ummm ....

First, take the wheel pants off.  Then, look at how
low the bottom wing is.  Most aircraft with skiis
have high wings (eg Cessna, Maule, Citabria, etc)
but there probably is a crazy dutch bastard out
there that puts his nosewheel Cherokee on skiis.

[img]http://www.ch-forrer.ch/Modellflug/Mode ... okee-6.jpg[/img]