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Sensenich Ground Adjustable Prop

I’d leave the W/B for 800s on permanent display next to the airworthiness. Highlight the final weight and hide the 800 part:p
 
I’d leave the W/B for 800s on permanent display next to the airworthiness. Highlight the final weight and hide the 800 part:p
While I was fueling my airplane from my fuel trailer the head FAA engineer asked what I was putting in the airplane. Jon the Sensenich engineer said he hoped it was fuel to which the engineer asked where it was coming from. Jon pointed at the tank and told him from there. I should have told him I was topping off the helium in my wings. :)
 
While I was fueling my airplane from my fuel trailer the head FAA engineer asked what I was putting in the airplane. Jon the Sensenich engineer said he hoped it was fuel to which the engineer asked where it was coming from. Jon pointed at the tank and told him from there. I should have told him I was topping off the helium in my wings. :)
:smile: Ha! You're learning lots about FAA engineers which the average aviation population never sees or knows. 8)
 
Steve
Based on your comment above I am wondering about the setup on my yet to fly Bearhawk. 82” with STOL blades on a 200hp O-360. My plan was to use #4 for everyday use, but I am not wondering is pins 2, 3 and possibly 4 are useless for me. I will be 1200-1225#’s
Thoughts?
 
Steve
Based on your comment above I am wondering about the setup on my yet to fly Bearhawk. 82” with STOL blades on a 200hp O-360. My plan was to use #4 for everyday use, but I am not wondering is pins 2, 3 and possibly 4 are useless for me. I will be 1200-1225#’s
Thoughts?

Start with 4 and see. The 360 on the Cubs seems to pull harder with the higher pitch pins.
 
First (brief) flight, yesterday evening following installation (Field Approval). Install was straightforward for my A&P (but since they forgot to send the spinner, he'll get some more practice) set up with #3 pitch pin on my 160hp. Not scientific but half fuel easily saw 1250 fpm climb at 82 degrees at 70 mph indicated with low altitude cruise speeds in the upper 90's to 100 but there was some wind aloft and again nothing scientific. Super smooth, spools up really quick, first thing I noted on start-up was I had to keep my heels on the brakes, because this prop wants to GO!
 
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First (brief) flight, yesterday evening following installation (Field Approval). Install was straightforward for my A&P (but since they forgot to send the spinner, he'll get some more practice) set up with #3 pitch pin on my 160hp. Not scientific but half fuel easily saw 1250 fpm climb at 82 degrees at 70 mph indicated with low altitude cruise speeds in the upper 90's to 100 but there was some wind aloft and again nothing scientific. Super smooth, spools up really quick, first thing I noted on start-up was I had to keep my heels on the brakes, because this prop wants to GO!

dang it!! this is going to end up costing me some money
 
I am very excited about this prop. I think it will be a fantastic option for experimental (and certified flown by A&Ps) cubs that don't want to go constant speed. Flat prop for playing in the BC, and switch her to cruise for the trip home. All with keeping her light with a 160hp O-320. Hit the sweet spot depending on the day and the mission.
 
Best left to what ethnographers call "the oral tradition", especially around campfires at Johnson Crick. Maybe Pierce needs an official Liars Bench in front of his hangar :)

Thanks. cubscout
 
Best left to what ethnographers call "the oral tradition", especially around campfires at Johnson Crick. Maybe Pierce needs an official Liars Bench in front of his hangar :)

Thanks. cubscout
You're welcome to come fly it for yourself.
 
Has a price been determined for this prop? Are there different model props for O-320’s and O-360’s?
 
It looks like I will save about 20-25 gallons of fuel traveling to AK in August in my Cruiser and the Sensenich GA prop going from 42 to 45 pitch.

Doug
 
Steve, Sensenich says on it's website: "The blades can be trimmed from the maximum 82″ diameter to 78″ diameter." and under special features available with " 82"-78" diameter" I interpret this to mean two different things. In the first, it suggests that a damaged prop can have it's tips cut off down to 78". In the second, it suggests that you can order a prop of the different diameters with the same swept back scimitar shape. So if you order the smaller diameter, will it come with the scimitar tip or a clipped tip?
Did you do performance testing with the different diameters and if so, did they have the same tip shape?
And if you did do this testing, what type of performance differences did you find? Time/distance off the ground, rate of climb, cruise speed, vibration levels, etc?
Sometimes there are subtle differences which tell a pilot that this one is slightly better or worse than that one under certain conditions. I consider the scimitar tip to be one of the advantages of this prop over a straight blade. It would be a shame to loose this advantage if someone wanted a prop shorter than 82".

 
We were testing and certifying the 78" prop along with the 82" until the FAA test pilot ran off the runway and tore up the plane. The blades were simply cut off with a table saw and dressed up. The performance was off to just above a Borer. Since those blades were damaged the decision was made not to conform another set and spend the extra time flight testing them. If I was out and damaged a tip I wouldn't have any reservations about cutting one down to get out.

I flew an 80" Borer prop one time. I thought something was amiss and finally measured the prop and figured out why it didn't perform how I thought it should.
 
I tested various pitches and two diameters of the 1A175 props on a PA-18 and a 7GCB, both on floats. The 82" was better on the -18, while the 80" was better on the 7GCB. Subtle differences, but differences yes.
 
I made my first flight on my field approved Sensenich yesterday. I also had spinner issues so I flew without the spinner. Speed was 5 mph better with a #4 pitch from wolf lake to lake hood.
My issue was my temps went up about 10 degrees across the board and oil temp went up about the same.
I ordered a spinner from Sensenich, they have them in stock and will be here Tuesday.
I’ll be the A model on the Knik and Su with the new prop Tuesday night and will report my experience.

As a side note sensenich said maybe 6 weeks out for the certification. He said they will start going down the list maybe as early as next week calling pre-orders.
he said there is 120 or so on the list. I’m number 56 and that will go to a friend of mine.
 
Oil temps and such
My -12 0360 with GA had some temp issues with a 7 fun oil cooler out west. Was hot and if I ran good airspeed less of an issue but.. Changed oil to Phillips 20-50 and they all dropped back to normal.
Friend with a Top cub and 9 fin oil cooler and 100 grade and he has no issues at all .

Just a FYI
 
By necessity the base of the Sen prop at the hub is round, the Borer's still an airfoil. That may affect cooling airflow through the cowl some. A spinner may help?

Gary
 
Another non-scientific report: I flew my new prop yesterday morning for a couple hours (still with the #3 pin). After warming up I decided to see how it liked slow poking around, low-level along the river and some area sod fields. I was solo and started out with a bit over 1/2 tanks and WOW is this prop responsive at low rpm/speed. At 60-62 indicated with one notch of flaps in 55-degree air at 600 msl-ish the thrust and throttle response are notably better than with my Borer. In short, I found it incredibly stable at low flight trips and tremendously responsive to small throttle bumps and flat out impressive when cobbed from my 1900-2100 rpm loitering with no noted spool-up lag.
 
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Guys will still want something they can chop wood with or wedge in the V of a tree to straighten out. I’m with you however Pete. I think a lot of the different feel wether guys know it or not is the 15lbs off the nose.
 
I’m curious, what is the drag like with power off compared to the Borer ?


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