Lets dig a little deeper into this putting the props full fine during the approach DFC.
First off if the POH / flight manual calls for this to be done can you give me a link to a POH that requires this to be done so I can see where exactly on the approach you must do it?
I have found that leaving the props in cruise setting on piston engine airplanes during the approach works just fine, I select full fine when I close the throttle / s for the landing for two reasons....
(1) If for some strange reason I need to reject the landing I will be able to apply take off power and the prop / s will be selected full fine.
(2) They will be in the correct position for take off on the next flight.
If for what ever reason I might need to reject the approach and go around it is easy to increase RPM to climb RPM and then apply climb power.
Why would you need to add take off power to do a missed approach?
Have I been doing it wrong?
You're not doing it wrong, but it all fairness, this is a HUGE issue in the United States in the Warbird community anyway where we're running Merlins, Allisons, and round engines all the way to 4360's.
Basically speaking, we're taking a long hard look at prop settings on final due to accidents involving ham handed pilots cramming in high MP with the props in (fine pitch for you Brits:-) . The resulting go around considering an initiation at high angles of attack and low airspeed has killed quite a few operators.
First of all, running up the props to full increase or even METO as is the case in most prop fighters (in my case specifically the Mustang) creates a huge drag on final in many cases causing power to be used that if you get low enough can result in a backside approach which by any definition isn't optimum.
Next, we have the various factors that come into play as something like a P51 is ham handed into a go around in the conditions I have mentioned. Having the prop all the way up allows all the power you can cram in.
Couple this into the addition of an 11 foot 2 inch Hamilton Standard 24D50 prop up front with a nice set of 6547 Paddle blades grabbing a ton of air when you rotate with high alpha/ slow airspeed/ and a prop disk rotating in pitch and you can throw in gyroscopic precession and P Factor to boot, not to mention slipstream effect.
The result here will be a yard of right aileron needed for the torque and two yards of rudder needed for the rest of it.
Operator not ready for this = dead operator.
It has been suggested by one side of the issue that leaving the prop in cruise on final and accepting any ham handed MP over boost during a go around attempt won't hurt the engines and is acceptable and even preferred procedure that will save lives.
The other side of the issue postulates that the airplane should be set up for approach as the dash 1 dictates and that pilots should be trained properly not to cram in go around power.
I've flown these airplanes for years using the dash 1 recommended procedures. I flew my approaches slightly high in the Mustang, and ran up the prop as the dash 1 asks for, at 2700RPM (METO) as I got close in on final.
This is simply my preference. I also agree that leaving the prop in cruise is a viable option. The main thing is that you are flying the aircraft in a manner that YOU can handle if suddenly faced with a go around.
So for me, it's Prop to 2700 close in. I was trained in proper throttle response and I teach proper throttle response so the prop position recommended by North American for the P51 is fine for me.
Different strokes for different folks :-))))))))))))))
Dudley Henriques