Propeller Safety
Gentleman Aviator
And just to make sure it gets max exposure, one understands that the space-ette and prop in question are "Miss October" in this year's ATC Calendar ..... 
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Your memories are short! In times long ago we were required to hold the fan on our whispering giant whilst the awesome Proteus decided which way to turn.
(It was not such a good idea though on my next sleek machine - Mr K Albert.)
(It was not such a good idea though on my next sleek machine - Mr K Albert.)
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Beware of any engine. I always look at the engine as I board my EasyJet or whatever. I never assume that it will not blow or suck.
With the prop I always steer well clear. With the Shack it had more that enough mixer blades. It was a point of style to always align the props after flight. I always let the pilot on the Lancaster, Anson, Valetta or Dakota line them up. On the Hastings and Shack we had the luxury of Flt Eng to do it.
If you are going to go near the blades make sure you were the last person in the cockpit then on your head be it.
PS, I forgor the Varsity and the Chipmonk
With the prop I always steer well clear. With the Shack it had more that enough mixer blades. It was a point of style to always align the props after flight. I always let the pilot on the Lancaster, Anson, Valetta or Dakota line them up. On the Hastings and Shack we had the luxury of Flt Eng to do it.
If you are going to go near the blades make sure you were the last person in the cockpit then on your head be it.
PS, I forgor the Varsity and the Chipmonk
Last edited by Pontius Navigator; 14th Oct 2006 at 20:39. Reason: added more guillotines
Avoid imitations
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The battery is wot powers the starter motor wot turns the prop. A turning prop, going over compression even without firing is likely to give the recipient's head a nasty lump. It would take a faulty relay to cause it to motor over by itself, a pretty unlikely scenario.
I wouldn't personally get my pants bunched up my bottom over the photo.
P.S. ~ Instructed on that type for a few years.
A hot piston engiine can turn over even with all the switches off, therefore treat all props as live and you might live to tell the tale.
I saw an old Chief Tech whacked on the knuckles by a Chippy once, fortunately it was close to the spinner and not further out so he retained all his bodily particles and got away with having fingers the size of bananas for a couple of weeks.
I saw an old Chief Tech whacked on the knuckles by a Chippy once, fortunately it was close to the spinner and not further out so he retained all his bodily particles and got away with having fingers the size of bananas for a couple of weeks.
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Come on people, that phot is obviously set up and all the correct safety procedures would have been taken I'm sure. It makes a good picture.
If any idiot sees that and then thinks 'oh so it's ok to stand near a prop anytime' then they deserve all they get.
Take the safety warnings off of everything, and this world would be less a few morons and thus a better place.
Some of you are getting a bit Nanny state on this.
If any idiot sees that and then thinks 'oh so it's ok to stand near a prop anytime' then they deserve all they get.
Take the safety warnings off of everything, and this world would be less a few morons and thus a better place.
Some of you are getting a bit Nanny state on this.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Not Props
A complete digression as I could find nothing about props but this might enliven a dull thread:
Aircraft: PIPER PA-34-200T, Registration: N47506
Injuries: 2 Fatal.
The private pilot and a pilot rated passenger [two pilots] were going to practice simulated instrument flight. Witnesses observed the airplane's right wing fail in a dive and crash. Examination of the wreckage and bodies revealed that both occupants were partially clothed and the front right seat was in the full aft reclining position. [The pilots had converted the co-pilot seat to a bed.] Neither body showed evidence of seatbelts or shoulder harnesses being worn. [They were lying on the bed.] Examination of the individuals' clothing revealed no evidence of ripping or distress to the zippers and belts. [Their lack of clothing seemed to be voluntary.]
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot in command's improper in-flight decision to divert her attention to other activities not related to the conduct of the flight. [The pilot and co-pilot were having sex, and nobody was flying the plane.] Contributing to the accident was the exceeding of the design limits of the airplane leading to a wing failure. [The lack of a pilot caused the plane to fly erratically, over-stressing the wing and leading to a crash.]
But this one is more apposite:
(Summer 2003, Canada) During my days in the Canadian Air Force I worked at the Gliding School instructing cadets. A magneto uses magnets to produce a powerful high-voltage electric current to fire the starters of an aircraft. One night we officers had a private competition to see who could hold onto the four leads of a magneto the longest. One by one we all dropped out, except for "Captain Magneto."
We pooled our money and came up with a bet, and the debonair Captain Magneto took that bet. He attached all four leads to his left testicle. Then we fired up the magneto. As you can imagine, Captain Magneto dropped like a sack of potatoes.
Nobody was able to assist him because we were all laughing too damn hard to breathe, let alone move. To add insult to injury, Mrs. Magneto (his wife) chose this very moment to walk in. She took one look at her husband, and instead of comforting him, started bitching him out. "What's wrong with you," she yelled, "I want kids someday!"
In time Captain Magneto was able to stand without screaming, but he probably won't be playing with magnetos any time soon.
(Summer 2003, Canada) During my days in the Canadian Air Force I worked at the Gliding School instructing cadets. A magneto uses magnets to produce a powerful high-voltage electric current to fire the starters of an aircraft. One night we officers had a private competition to see who could hold onto the four leads of a magneto the longest. One by one we all dropped out, except for "Captain Magneto."
We pooled our money and came up with a bet, and the debonair Captain Magneto took that bet. He attached all four leads to his left testicle. Then we fired up the magneto. As you can imagine, Captain Magneto dropped like a sack of potatoes.
Nobody was able to assist him because we were all laughing too damn hard to breathe, let alone move. To add insult to injury, Mrs. Magneto (his wife) chose this very moment to walk in. She took one look at her husband, and instead of comforting him, started bitching him out. "What's wrong with you," she yelled, "I want kids someday!"
In time Captain Magneto was able to stand without screaming, but he probably won't be playing with magnetos any time soon.
Aircraft: PIPER PA-34-200T, Registration: N47506
Injuries: 2 Fatal.
The private pilot and a pilot rated passenger [two pilots] were going to practice simulated instrument flight. Witnesses observed the airplane's right wing fail in a dive and crash. Examination of the wreckage and bodies revealed that both occupants were partially clothed and the front right seat was in the full aft reclining position. [The pilots had converted the co-pilot seat to a bed.] Neither body showed evidence of seatbelts or shoulder harnesses being worn. [They were lying on the bed.] Examination of the individuals' clothing revealed no evidence of ripping or distress to the zippers and belts. [Their lack of clothing seemed to be voluntary.]
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot in command's improper in-flight decision to divert her attention to other activities not related to the conduct of the flight. [The pilot and co-pilot were having sex, and nobody was flying the plane.] Contributing to the accident was the exceeding of the design limits of the airplane leading to a wing failure. [The lack of a pilot caused the plane to fly erratically, over-stressing the wing and leading to a crash.]
But this one is more apposite:
(Summer 2003, Canada) During my days in the Canadian Air Force I worked at the Gliding School instructing cadets. A magneto uses magnets to produce a powerful high-voltage electric current to fire the starters of an aircraft. One night we officers had a private competition to see who could hold onto the four leads of a magneto the longest. One by one we all dropped out, except for "Captain Magneto."
We pooled our money and came up with a bet, and the debonair Captain Magneto took that bet. He attached all four leads to his left testicle. Then we fired up the magneto. As you can imagine, Captain Magneto dropped like a sack of potatoes.
Nobody was able to assist him because we were all laughing too damn hard to breathe, let alone move. To add insult to injury, Mrs. Magneto (his wife) chose this very moment to walk in. She took one look at her husband, and instead of comforting him, started bitching him out. "What's wrong with you," she yelled, "I want kids someday!"
In time Captain Magneto was able to stand without screaming, but he probably won't be playing with magnetos any time soon.
(Summer 2003, Canada) During my days in the Canadian Air Force I worked at the Gliding School instructing cadets. A magneto uses magnets to produce a powerful high-voltage electric current to fire the starters of an aircraft. One night we officers had a private competition to see who could hold onto the four leads of a magneto the longest. One by one we all dropped out, except for "Captain Magneto."
We pooled our money and came up with a bet, and the debonair Captain Magneto took that bet. He attached all four leads to his left testicle. Then we fired up the magneto. As you can imagine, Captain Magneto dropped like a sack of potatoes.
Nobody was able to assist him because we were all laughing too damn hard to breathe, let alone move. To add insult to injury, Mrs. Magneto (his wife) chose this very moment to walk in. She took one look at her husband, and instead of comforting him, started bitching him out. "What's wrong with you," she yelled, "I want kids someday!"
In time Captain Magneto was able to stand without screaming, but he probably won't be playing with magnetos any time soon.
Last edited by Pontius Navigator; 15th Oct 2006 at 11:01.
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What a load of wibble, everybody trying to be self-righteously better than the next.
Yes, working on prop airframes can be dangerous but only if you don't know what you're doing or are complacent to the point of imbicility. What about all the engine mechs and fitters since the dawna time who serviced and still service the airframes that you are allowed to play with? I'm glad someone up-thread mentioned the Brittania. Common practice to have four blokes with a shoulder against each lower blade on start up. Anyone who has worked prop 'frames can tell you stories going way back that would curl your little toes, but for every person that got 'hit' there are a thousand that didn't! Everything the RAF has on inventory is dangerous if not treated with respect, from towing arms to Typhoons, everything.
As for the pic . . . nice I thought, setting, reason for it, people who sanctioned it, even the lass (in some ways). No point in raining on her parade just because someone wanted a publicity shot.
Anyway, I think the initial post by 'Cat' was a bit of a jokey wind-up. Notice the '
' wibble smiley?
Yes, working on prop airframes can be dangerous but only if you don't know what you're doing or are complacent to the point of imbicility. What about all the engine mechs and fitters since the dawna time who serviced and still service the airframes that you are allowed to play with? I'm glad someone up-thread mentioned the Brittania. Common practice to have four blokes with a shoulder against each lower blade on start up. Anyone who has worked prop 'frames can tell you stories going way back that would curl your little toes, but for every person that got 'hit' there are a thousand that didn't! Everything the RAF has on inventory is dangerous if not treated with respect, from towing arms to Typhoons, everything.
As for the pic . . . nice I thought, setting, reason for it, people who sanctioned it, even the lass (in some ways). No point in raining on her parade just because someone wanted a publicity shot.
Anyway, I think the initial post by 'Cat' was a bit of a jokey wind-up. Notice the '
' wibble smiley?
Thought police antagonist
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Have a look at the guy around the props on this short video ..... 
http://www.flightlevel350.com/Aircra...ideo-5474.html
http://www.flightlevel350.com/Aircra...ideo-5474.html
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Yes.. The Brit was turboprop. The proteus engines suffered from partial power turbine stall at low [starting] rpm due to a tortuous back to front gas flow. This disturbed gas flow manifested itself by rotating the power turbine the wrong way (or sometimes not at all). On start the prop blade would be safely prevented from rotating backwards by GC until core rpm increased whereupon it gently pulled itself the correct way out of his gentle grasp. GC would now clear the area.
Later, when the brits were sold to a freight company (was it Turncoat or Redcoat , or something like that!) they did not seem to bother with this procedure. I was starting my Albert on a dark Gander night with a Brit starting next to me. Sure enough, the prop rotated in the wrong direction for a short while. As the core rpm increased, the gas flow sorted itself out. The prop suddenly stopped and then accelerated the correct way accompanied by a nice light show from the engine exhaust.
Wasn't the proteus a boat engine?
Later, when the brits were sold to a freight company (was it Turncoat or Redcoat , or something like that!) they did not seem to bother with this procedure. I was starting my Albert on a dark Gander night with a Brit starting next to me. Sure enough, the prop rotated in the wrong direction for a short while. As the core rpm increased, the gas flow sorted itself out. The prop suddenly stopped and then accelerated the correct way accompanied by a nice light show from the engine exhaust.
Wasn't the proteus a boat engine?