"cavelamb" wrote in message
ink.net...
Al wrote:
"cavelamb" wrote in message
nk.net...

Al wrote:


Pavement, KRBG, and about 10" I think.

Al



Ok, another WAG?

Stardusters sometimes have rather long looking noses.

If that was 10" in level attitude - obviously not a prob.
If that's 10" clearance in 3 point? Maybe?



It was a good 10" in a level attitude. Far enough to strike the prop
would be scary indeed.



LAST WAG?

You found an old prop on the resturant wall?



He, He, It WILL end up on a wall somewhere. Perhaps with a clock. The
strange part to me is that he didn't notice a thing until shutdown.

I finally got some pictures up, (alt.binaries.pictures.aviation). I tried
earlier, but hit some kind of size limitation.

Al




Will go take a (morbidly curious) look.

Most likely scenerio is that this prop is (well, WAS) too long for this
engine.
At operating speeds, the tip sheething let go (oh, say at about 4000 to
5000
G's?), and the prop "re-balanced" itself (rather quickly) sheding the
dammaged wood.

Those OLD props (say from an OX-5?) turned something like 1200 to 1500 RPM
max.

What do you think, Al?

RIchard

It has been suggested that what he really needed was a shorter prop, and now
he has one.

At operating speeds, the tip sheething let go

This is the only scenario that fits all of the observations. I don't
understand it, exactly, but there you have it. The radial Continental only
turns 2500 or so doesn't it ? And wooden props are used on old radials all
the time aren't they? So what went wrong?

If we, for the moment, ignore witness reports, The other most likely
scenario was voiced by Capt Thorpe, "That prop had to hit SOMETHING." My
reply follows:

That prop had to hit SOMETHING.


You know, Capt., I couldn't agree more. The NTSB guy inside of me concludes
that "The prop came into contact with a stationary surface, long enough to
strike both blades". But I sure can't back it up with a single observation
and the witnesses don't support it. We did a "FOD walk down" on the runway,
and saw no splinters or strike marks. The taxi way signs apparently have no
damage, again, no splinters. The pilot didn't observe anything. He was as
shocked as we were upon shutdown. Of course it was his first flight in a
plane he built. He may be excused for not being the perfect observer. He is,
however, an ex marine, very quick wit, even somewhat humble; if he saw
something he would tell us. There were witnesses(Pilots) out on the side of
the runway during departure, and they all report no unusual noises or
events. Even the landing was reported as normal.
There has been a theory advanced that the prop tips(metal), departed in
flight causing the damage. I think the length of the cracks and splinters on
the remaining prop blades argues against this. Even a lightweight taxi sign
shouldn't cause damage like this.
I haven't given up. I think the odds of that kind of symmetrical and
extensive damage occurring in flight are slim. I will feel better when I
find a piece of prop, somewhere on the airport.

Al



-----Original Message-----
From: Capt. Geoffry Thorpe ]
Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 7:09 PM
To: Al Gerharter
Subject: Starduster Too, first flight, busted prop

A buddy suggested that he might have hit a taxiway marker - I assume he has
to S turn to taxi - could he have swung a little wide?

That prop had to hit SOMETHING.


Geoffrey Thorpe
The Sea Hawk At WowWay D0t Com