"Some Other Guy" wrote
Maxwell wrote:
Vibration - Hard for me to understand with today's technology, why we are
still flying aircraft with reciprocating engines, hard coupled to
flywheels (propellers). Every other vehicle I can think of provides some
kind of dampening between the engine and final drive. Would make a
tremendous deference in creature comforts, if not reliability as well.

Reliability? Wouldn't it just be adding another potential point of
failure?

Plus the big killer of airplanes and "improvements" - WEIGHT !

A vibration isolator/dampener would have to be extreeeeemly robust, to
handle the torque pulses, and would weigh a significant amount.

A properly indexed and balanced prop is not going to be worse than a prop
isolated from the engine, either.

There are some devices that bolt on the backplate of the spinner, (as I
recall) but I don't remember the name. They work by letting some weight in
a viscous fluid find the right place to settle and balance the system out,
automatically. I do recall that people that have used them rave about them.
Anyone?
--
Jim in NC