Nice thread with a few good points on props. Here's a couple more for interest:
Turning prop backwards: it's an essential procedure to clear some flooded engines, and to enable some engines to start when hot - for a practical demo, watch the Chief Engineer at Shuttleworth trying to re-start the Tiger and Maggie after the show
Horizontal props: wooden props should always be left horizontal. If left verticle for a long time, over winter, say, any sap or liquids in the prop may drain to one end leaving the prop un-ballanced.
Final thought: Always treat the prop as live and never walk through the disc - how many pictures do we see of proud pilots smiling at the front of their aeroplanes, cuddling the prop. I wonder what the pictures would look like if the engine fired...............??
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