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LESSON 5
PROPELLE R

'·
¡, A. Dialogue

Dan: What do you look for when you inspect the props?
Art: Anything that might cause failure. A lot of forces are applied
to the prop. Something a little bit wrong can develop quickly into
failure.
Dan: I know about the danger of nicks and dents and scratches.
Art: Yes, we know these can cause failures, so we carefully remove
them.
Dan: Doesn't that affect the balance?
Art: The balance must be carefully preserved. We'll check the props
for bóth balance and track. Track could indicate a damaged
engine shaft.
Dan: I see this blade tip has a dent in it. I suppose a rock hit it.
21
 22
AVIATION MECHANICS
Art:
Proba?ly. And the hub has to be in good condition. Not only
does 1t. hold the blades on, but it contains the pitch -change
mechamsm.
JI Dan:
I know. By the way, I can't keep the props synchronized for
.a Art:
very long. The beats keep reappearing .
Do you notice any tendency to overspeed when you apply
power?
4 Dan: Maybe a little.
Art: The governors are probably a little slow. Let me get my .
-'Al wrenches. We'll take the governors off and bench-check them.
Dan: Here's your wrench set. · .
~ Art: Thanks. Boy, this is on tight. ... There it comes. Would you
hold this nut and washer?
Dan: Right. Say, the threads don't look too good on this nut.
Art: We'll have to replace it. The bolt looks good. l'll take off the
spinner now. By the way, have you feathered either prop lately?
Dan: Oh, I always check feathering befare takeoff.
Art: I mean, have you feathered them fully?
Dan: Oh, a few weeks ago I feathered both of them for a student.
They're OK.

B. Terminology Practica

beat: a sound caused by the propellers on an airplane with more

than one engine when the engines are not at exactly the same speed
The beats keep reappearing.
I hear about two beats each second.
IÍ:..:;;a
~ / Toe props weren't sychronized, so the beats kept coming.
bench check: test a piece of equipment under simulated conditions ,. '

(not on the airplane) -

We'll take the governors off and bench..check them.
Toe bench check showed what the trouble was.
Art bench-cbecked the prop governors.
iiiit-, .
blade: ashort way º.f saying p~op~ll~r blade
1 see this blade t1p has a ruck 1n 1t. .
The props 00 this airplan~ have three blades.
One of the blades lost a t1p.
 PROPELLER 23
bolt: a threaded metal fastener which
receives a nut
To e bolt looks good.
Hundreds of bolts are used in an
airplane.
Th e bolt was worn and ha d to be
replaced.
feather: tur n the edges of
the propeller blades of a dead
the wind to reduce dra g engine into
·
Have you feathered either prop lat
ely?
I always check feathering before
takeoff.
Ha ve you feathered the m fully?
governor: a device which
causes the engine to turn at a spe
by the pil ot regardless of the powe ed selected
r applied
Th e governors are probably a litt
le slow.
We'll take the govemors off.
He bench-checked the govemors.
hub: the ce ntr al pa rt of a
propeller which secures the blade
Th e hu b ha s to be in good conditio s
n.
A cra ck ha d formed in the hub.
Th e hu b contains the pitch-changin
..
' g mechanism.
k nut: a piece of metal with
:,.
;· a threaded hole which fits a bolt
W ou ld you hold this nut?
Th e thr ea ds do en 't look good on
this nut.
Th is nu t doesn't fit. '
overspeed: ru n faster tha n
the govemor is set for
Do yo u notice any tendency to ov
e~speed?
Th e engine oversped for about a
minute. .
Da n did n't notice any overspeed
when he apphed the power.
pitch: the angle of the pro
peller blades
It contains the pitch-changing mecha .
msm.
Th e itch was already set for tak
P eoff. .
He changed th e pi'teh slightly on one prop to get nd of the beats.
prop: a propeller
W ha t do you look for whe~ you ms . ?
pect the pr 0 p8 .
A lot of forces ca n be apphed to
ª prop.
I ca n't keep the props synchronize
d.
shaft: a metal rod which turns
Tr ac k could indicate a damaged eng. h ft
me s a .
Th e shaft was bent. .
They had trouble pulling the p rop off the shaft.
24 AVIAT ION MECH ANICS

spinner: a covering for the prop hub

I'll take off the spinner now.
The spinner was not on straight.
We'll have to put the spinner back on now.
synchronized: in this sense, made to operate at the same speed
or
reading
I can 't keep the props synchronized.
Beats show that the props are not synchronized. ·
Adjusting the prop governors will synchronize the engines.
thread: the spiral ridge of a bolt or nut
The threads don't look too good on this nut.
The threads were damaged when the nut was pulled too tight.
He slowly threaded the nut on the bolt.

Thr ead s\

\ Bolt
Nut --- ---
•
Í

tip: the extrem e outside end of an object; here of a propeller blade

I see this tip has a dent in it.
One of the tips broke off.
Tips are frequently damaged by rocks.
track: as used he~e, the path made by the blade s-eac h blade should
follow exactly in the path of the others
We'll check the prop for track.
Track could indicate a damaged engine shaft.
Have you checked the props for track?
washe r: a flat piece of metal placed on a bolt before the nut is put
on
Woul d you hold this nut and washer?
This kj.nd of washer keeps the out from coming off.
He installed the out without a washer.
wrench; a tool for tuming nuts and bolts
Let me get my wreoches.
~ ?) Here' s your wreoc h set.
QrC,-}·-'"' This wrench isn't the right size.