Hi Remi,
We have a mono-wheel XS with Rotax 912S that has been flying about
3 years. We first flew with the two blade Whirlwind prop with hydraulic
constant speed control. It worked well most of the time, but
occasionally had trouble with bad vibration under certain throttle/speed
conditions. We eventually changed it out for the Airmaster. We later
found that the vibrations with the Whirlwind prop were not the prop's
fault, but its response to rough running of the engine due to vapor
lock. The hydraulic controller had a much faster response time (than
the electric units) which added to the vibration caused by the rough motor.
The Airmaster prop is fairly smooth, but as a 3 blade prop, not
noticeably smoother than the 2 blade Whirlwind was. The Airmaster gives
about the same cruise speed and climb rate as the Whirlwind did. The
Airmaster makes a better air brake when the throttle is closed, which
can be an advantage in decents, but not in a power off glide, unless you
feather it. The Airmaster provides poorer cooling on the ground and in
the climb than the Whirlwind did (less effective prop wash through the
radiators).
For a while, we had some difficulties with the Airmaster prop
giving us roughness under certain conditions. This turned out to be
poor matching of blade incidence, which was eventually cured by
returning the blades to the factory, where they were repaired.
regards,
Terry Seaver
A135 / N135TD
owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com wrote:
>
>Hello all,
>I am planning to change my Warp Drive ground adjustable prop for an in flight
adjustable or possibly a constant speed prop.
>According to the Europa Club list of flying Europas, there are 43 of you flying
with the Airmaster AP332 and 31 with the Arplast PV50.
>I would like to know how happy you are with those props.
>My criteria are : reliability/safety, performance, maintenance requirements.
>Is the Arplast smoother than the Airmaster ?
>What about erosion of the blade when flying the Arplast in rain ?
>Please mention your prop flight time.
>Looking fwd receiving 74 answers !
> Remi Guerner
>F-PGKL, XS monowheel s/n 395. Installing a 912S to replace the 914.
>
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