Hi all,
I heard that during the Arlington fly-in the
factory tri-gear with a Whirlwind prop had the
engine shut down and the prop windmilled,
continuing to turn over.
I had heard that the Rotax engine would not
windmill, that the prop would stop turning as
soon as the ignition was turned off. This was
an important consideration when ordering the
glider wings. If props had the tendency to wind-
mill, we would need a prop that feathers to
motor glide. But since the Rotax 'does not'
windmill, we bought the Whirlwind prop for
our 912S.
For Kim Prout and any others with the
Whirlwind prop;
Does it windmill with the engine off ?
Does it stop at lower speeds, and what speed?
If it stops at lower speed, will it start wind-
milling again if the speed goes up again?
If it does not stop windmilling at gliding speeds,
can the Whirlwind prop be used for motor
gliding on the Europa ? !!!
With its higher compression, the 912S is
less likely to windmill than the 912, which
engine is in the factory tri gear that was
shut down at Arlington ?
Another question;
The Whirlwind goes to fine pitch
when the engine is stopped. Is this the
least likely position for windmilling,
or the most likely? (I have assumed
it is the least likely).
Terry Seaver
A135
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