Constant speed props
 

I have done the search bit and found some good answers but can anyone point me in the direction of a guide to the operation of these? I need something to pass on for study (I am not very good at the techie explanations) from start up to touch down with practical hints.
Thanks

http://www.thaitechnics.com/propeller/prop_control.html

just found this i have had a brief look seems to cover most of what I did in my atpls if you have any specific questions pm me and I will help if i can .
cheers.

Thorough background and theory from John Deakin on AvWeb.

Deakin: Props, Manifold Pressure & Mixture.

Yet more from Deakin.

(Free registration required for the links above).

A readable article from the PFA giving the essentials. (PDF)

very important
 

One of the most important things to remember is that if you tap a pen down the length of the prop it will make a different noise from root to tip. That is because it is a variable pitch prop.

And vice versa for a fixed pitch prop. Except that it makes the same noise.

Its all a bit technical but i know.

James Kirk:
Thank you for that pearl of information:
I tend to look for the blue lever in the cockpit as I can never find a suitable pen.
Cusco;)

Cusco
 

Removing the blue lever from the cockpit for the pitch test is not a good idea as it is required to set the blade angle (on the ground AND in flight).

Eh? Could someone enlighten me as to the prop pen test because I haven't heard of it before and appear to be a tad confused by Mr Kirks' post....

smarthawke, you are not the only one confused. Mr Kirk appears to be quite confused himself.

Captain Kirk is just taking the P.

I believe it was a joke :}

thanks dublinpilot
 

Yes, dublinpilot is right. I am taking the p a bit. Only cos i was bored.

But, Its great that some of you fell for it. In a totally non offensive nice way of course.:)

It was a joke that the CAA examiner on my IR did to me. Except he kept me guessing for about 5 minutes why the pen made a different noise.

And if any of you say you are not going to try that out with people on a lovely summers day at your airfield, then you are a cad.

http://www.fly13.co.uk/Tug/VP%20Prop/Prop.htm

A bit about how they work

This may of course explain why since your early postings in November 2004 you are still waiting for a F/O post.
What is it- 500 hours and now 37?
Good luck
Cusco:D

I've always thought of it as (bad analogy coming up) the equivilent of a gearbox in a car, but when I've used it to explain to other people they seem to have got the idea.

A car has a gearbox, you pull away in 1st gear. In a plane you take off with prop set to full fine. In a car when you get to your desired speed you take your foot off the gas and knock it into a higher gear. In a plane you pull the throttle back and course the prop out. And don't forget you want it full fine again when you're coming into land - helps you get the speed off, and well, you know what happens when you try to pull away in a car with 4th gear selected... don't want that kind of thing when you're going around!

I have a presentation that I did awhile back for my Instructor course that may help. I got through the presentation so it made some sense.

PM me if you want a copy. It is a slide set.

Cusco
 

You seem to be following my details. i hope your not some kind of stalker. But thanks for keeping an interest in my progress.

Its actually 1800hrs / CPL and PPL instructor / FO and most importantly, 36

Tapping the prop may have the same effect as railway wheel tappers, might be a way of detecting cracks.
Steam engines and old wind up record players use two bob weights spinning around a shaft that lifts a valve to govern the flywheel speed, in the case of steam engines.
As for the prop, use the analogy of wood screws.
Take off and climb takes a lot of effort, like trying to screw into hard wood, so you would use a fine thread screw, so that the effort required to turn travels a small distance.
Whereas screwing into chipboard takes little effort so the screw has a coarse thread, a bit like coarse prop setting in the cruise.

Are you ALL numpties???
 

I can't believe so many of you haven't gotten the joke! OK, I had to read it twice to get it but variable PITCH...different NOTES...think musical "pitch" here, gang.

I'm not sure if the joke was really that clever or you're all really that thick. :):):)

Pitts2112

I can hazard a very good guess as to the identity of the CAA examiner involved as he repeated the joke to me only a few days ago. :) It's one he uses to help his prospective victims relax a bit during the exam. :ok: