PT-6A Holding the prop on start up?
I am not sure if P&W have said anything about the practice, but I do not recall ever seeing it as a approved starting procedure in any of the approved manuals. Someone who knows much more than me will have to answer that.
Silly Old Git
Indeed, if anyone is in possession of a manual/document extolling the virtues of hanging on to any engine/prop combination during start (not wokkas) please tell us.
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Sale, Australia
Age: 80
Posts: 3,832
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
if anyone is in possession of a manual/document extolling the virtues of hanging on to any engine/prop combination during start (not wokkas) please tell us
Crews only requested the prop to be held, during it's engine start-if there was a wind present that caused the prop to rotate in the opposite direction. The prop (if unrestrained and the wind was strong enough), could pick up a considerable rotation speed in the wrong direction and then cause considerable bearing load and adverse effects of gas temps over the turbine-before rotating in the intended direction. The procedure was to hold a blade between finger and thumb until the turbine began to drive the prop shaft. The blade then moved ever so gently out of the holder's finger/thumb.
Silly Old Git
The Proteus has a free turbine and as such the prop has a parking brake. The brake was released prior to starting the engine. In order to stop the prop spinning the wrong way during engine start, the ground crew could hold it. You knew when to let go when you felt the prop moving with the engine when it started.
Temps.
Temps.
A Pommy electrical nightmare that required a good FE. One that knew which part of the cabin floor to stamp on to unstick recalcitrant relays etc.
