MT Constant speed prop for 0-300

[mrpibb]

quick note on prop swap, I bought 09V with a a em53 (6 bolt) pitched it to a 50. from time to time i would try to borrow a 53 if i was to to a long trip, my speeds were at 2500rpm were 108 mph vs 122 mph. while seeing higher numbers on the speedo was cool, the time it took to swap install and track ect two propellors twice really didnt same me much time. some day ill tellt he story leaving medina OH on a 115 degree day at gross weight on the way to kosh...

[mrpibb]

If nothing else, they sure are pretty.

Do you know the guy that owns that one?
If you know the owner, can we talk him into giving us a review compared to what he had before? Better yet, could he swap it with a metal one and compare?

I was there for the test flights, I knowthe the guy who flew it while they were working on the set up of the wieghts. I could ask him but from what I could get from his converstion back then was that take of was alittle quicker it climbed well but cruise was marginal at best, the test pilot is a little bit of a curmudgeon so it tends to be tought to impress him sometimes, so ill try to get a better answer then "ehh its okay" out of him. What I do know was that i saw the airplane this summer and it had a metal fixed pitch prop on it. Ill try to find out why that came about also.

[n2582d]

Does the Aeromatic prop do what they claim it will do? Does anyone have any experience with one?

I am yet to find anyone with direct experience with the propeller that can provide actual performance numbers on the propeller vs a EM7653 for example. Lots of anecdotal statements that say its not as good this or better than that but no direct comparisons. Not even from Kent Tarver, current owner of the type certificate seems to have such information.

I have an O-300B (with the hydraulic prop control on the left forward side of the engine) and an Aeromatic 200H "Hi Cruise" hydraulically adjustable propeller. I'll be visiting Kent Tarver in Fallon, NV later this week to talk with him about repairs needed on my prop. In the meantime I'm hanging on to my McCauley. It's interesting to see what Bill Thompson, the Cessna test pilot who wrote Cessna: Wings for the World, writes concerning props on the C-170: "The quest for greater climb performance continued in the C-140 tradition with a seemingly endless number and types of propellers. We proved that wooden or composite propellers (fixed or controllable) were no match for McCauley's propellers having thin aluminum blades" (pg. 22).

[bagarre]

I've never heard of that book before.
Just bought it on amazon. Thanks! It sounds like a great read!

[edbooth]

I've never heard of that book before.
Just bought it on amazon. Thanks! It sounds like a great read!

I got one of these books signed by Bill Thompson as a Christmas present about 20 years ago...great book !

[n2582d]

It's fascinating to read of Cessna's various experimental projects in Cessna: Wings for the World. Thompson just mentions in passing that they "evaluated a jet-assisted-take-off (JATO) installation" on the C-140. That must have been a kick in the pants! He also talks about the C-170 that was converted for boundary layer control (BLC) research. They renamed it the C-309. Apparently "takeoff and landing distances were reduced 34% and 11% respectively" but the system looked very complex. A subsequent BLC plane was the C-319 which a Cessna test pilot described as "a rather nasty little monster" after his first test flight. Of course Cessna's ultimate STOL aircraft was the CH-1 Skyhook.

[hilltop170]

The CH-1 was a very amazing helicopter especially considering it was built in the mid-1950s. I read that book cover to cover in one sitting, I couldn't put it down. If I remember correctly, it set several performance records such as absolute altitude, speed, and max hover height.

Cessna eventually bought them all back and scrapped them because they couldn't solve an exhaust problem. That was a real shame for an otherwise good 4-place piston helicopter.

[GAHorn]

That...and the driveshaft was a hazard as it passed thru the cabin.

[bagarre]

My main recollection was an endless search for the best propeller. In that era there were many wooden propellers available, but only a few models of the more efficient metal propellers were being developed at the McCauley Propeller Company. We were always looking for better climb performance, and I still have vivid memories of struggling for altitude...

The quest for greater climb performance continued in the C-140 tradition and a seemingly endless number and types of propellers. We proved that wooden or composite propellers (fixed or controllable) were no match for McCauley's propellers having aluminum blades.

[blueldr]

My previous experience with an Aeromatic Propeller on my Stinson L-5 when I was up in Alaska leads me to feel that I would not invest any money in one of them. The one I had cost me nothing and my experience with it made me feel that the price was about right. There was a performance improvement over the stock wooden fixed pitch prop, but not enough that would entice me to buy one.

[bagarre]

It would be really interested if someone was to make aluminum or carbon blades for the Aeromatic.

I wonder if it would be the cat's meow at that point.

Until then, I'm not holding my breath.

[FredMa]

[quote="bagarre"]

I wonder if it would be the cat's meow at that point.

More than likely, it would still be akin to something located on the other end of the cat.

[blueldr]

I would venture to guess that if the Aeromatic Propeller was real great, it would still be manufactured.

[drewcaughlin]

Sounds like you have put your prop on and off several times recently. I took my prop off a while ago when doing some other maintenance and the alignment marks I made where wiped off. I see there is a service bulletin for advancing the prop 45 degrees to help smooth out vibrations. Unfortunately I have not found anywhere where the step by step instructions are for crank placement (TDC ?) It was 20 years ago the last time I had the prop off. (this is the second time I've owed this plane) Any suggestions? Thanks.