• If You Are Having Trouble Logging In with Your Old Username and Password, Please use this Forgot Your Password link to get re-established.
  • Hey! Be sure to login or register!

Hand propping a PPonk 470-50

Dave, I find the MT on my cub a pain in the a$$ to prop - but Brian Sutton (guy I bought it from) ran his plane without a working starter for years and hand propped the MT.

sj
 
I've propped my 470K (180 with 29 Bushwheels standing in front)with 2 blade MT a few times and don't find it too bad. I make sure to have a blade up at 10 or 11 oclock and then turn the mags on. Seems I can just get it past compression and sorta let go while backing up and it runs. Even with the starter, I give couple shots of prime, pull through about three blades, get in and one more shot of prime and hit the starter and it usually runs in one or two blades.
 
Last edited:
Did I mention the Beaver was on straight floats? It always seems safer to pull it when behind the prop, but I'm sure folks have messed up there as well...

I did ours from underneath and behind..me standing in the water. Did that a few times.
I watched a repo-guy hand prop a P-Navajo one time.... my hat was off to him.
John
 
My pal has a 3 blade on his, like I say, he has it sorted out. Mostly doesn't do that, but when he does, not a problem.
 
The guy holding his hand up missing all the fingers...you say you used to hand prop what!!!
 
It sounds like a few guys need to sort out their alternator and battery problems!

Really? Try working a trapline around the Arctic Circle, where ten starts, with just a few minutes flight time between stops. Oh, and the temperatures ACTUALLY are well below zero. Do that once and you’ll learn to prop your engine every start.

Or how about flying an airplane in genuine cold weather with a **** battery.....and you don’t own the plane.

Or, how about those of us who may not be superbly skilled, and leave the Master on our seaplane, as we’re beaching in a ten knot current, then get distracted while trying to get the Plane secured.

Etc..... **** happens to some of us, Stewart.

MTV
 
Lithium battery with it's low internal resistance, recharges quickly. Only need 1/2 dozen marten to buy one.
 
6801C0B0-79E6-404D-A36D-A5E68B6C06B8.jpeg
Scar on middle finger from propping a 3 bladed 207 back in the day. (30+ years ago) I don’t prop 3 bladed airplanes anymore. The prop comes around too quick!
 

Attachments

  • 6801C0B0-79E6-404D-A36D-A5E68B6C06B8.jpeg
    6801C0B0-79E6-404D-A36D-A5E68B6C06B8.jpeg
    86.6 KB · Views: 195
I would rather prop a 3 blade 6 cylinder Continental than a 2 blade

A 3 blade Continental always has a blade at the right location at firing.

A 2 blade does not. And you have to find the cylinder that fires where yu can throw the prop.

R985's are childs play to hand prop. Big heavy props and low compression and big magnetos that dont need impulse couplings.

My thoughts exactly. Altho one would be hard pressed to get me to prop anything but a 4 banger or Pratt any more. And probably not even a Pratt the first time on a cold morning
 
I flew to an airport to meet a gentleman to balance a 3 blade MT and after he put his equipment on I tried to start and wouldn't you know the starter drive took a crap. I propped it 3 times as he had the throttle, after the second start put tape on fingers cause of blistering....Cessna 185. Ended up putting old style drive on cause of MT prop. Grew up propping my fathers pa-11 and and later my own 1340.
 
Patented hand propping handwear....

Maybe I can sell some at the Aviation Gathering in May...


81FSQuXIxdL._SL1500_.jpg
 
.....I hear a wood composite doesn’t have the mass or momentum to be hand propped. Don’t know. Just hearsay..... .

A friend of mine used to run a wood prop on his A65-powered Luscombe (without impulses).
Much harder to start than with the metal Mac he replaced it with.
Not enough mass to overcome inertia, tended to kick back against a compression stroke instead of going through it.
He now has an O-200 (with impulses!),
easy to prop even with the McCatto prop he's got on it.

FWIW I had to prop my 180 a couple times shortly after I bought it,
battery needed replacing.
It started right up, no problem.
Stock K engine, 2 blade Mac.
 
Hardtailjohn, seeing the picture with your avatar reminds me of watching my friend jump off the wing of the goose to get us going on a beach out the Alaska Peninsula.
 
Back
Top