MT 3 bladed prop

[N5ZX]

Since there is already a thread designiated MT Propeller, I figured I'd add a reply to Jack about his interest in the Composite 3-blade props.

I recently mounted them on the front and rear of my bird and I'm quite pleased.

The biggest difference is decreased vibration....think of it like this: the wop-wop-wop of a two blade huey...you can hear it coming miles away. The high-speed buzz of the OH-6 "Loach" (Hughes 500) which is virtually silent until its on ya. or Harley vs. ninja. its smooth....and its quiet.

In fact, the tips actually whistle ever so slightly at idle.

Much of the smoothness may be due to Owen Bell's dynamic balancing.

Whether its the props and proper balancing, or the stars and the moons...whatever it is....I likes it!!!!

Bug juice wipes away increadibly easily (be careful what cleaner you use).

And be SURE you clean the rear prop after EVERY flight. The rear prop os only a few inches from the blistering hot exhaust from the rear engine. No problem...the heat doesnt seem to be bothering it (only 15 hrs so far). HOWEVER, the exhaust carbons get baked onto the prop....turinging a stark white blade....tobacco-tan. Easy enough to clean off if you get it while its freash. But if you wait too long, I have a hunch it will prove increasingly difficult and could theoretically stain the finish permanently.

Take the extra few seconds to use your cleaning cloth to "floss" between the rood of the prop and the base of the spinner. (sorry about the lack of technical lingo....but if you have one, you'll know what I mean).

In all.... I am VERY please.

As with any upgrade ( and I've done A LOT of upgrading) I dont recommend doing it unless the existing quipment is due for replacement or significant repair. But if its time to do "something", I can say that the MT Composite 3-blade is an exceptionally good option.

It wont work miracles. But it will put a smile on your face.

Cole

[hharney]

I have 7 years on my MT's to date. Still love them and would do it again. I will be leaving for Deland, Florida in about a week to visit the US MT Prop facility. There my props will undergo a complete overhaul for a fresh new start. Estimates for the job are around $7K. Not too bad for both ends.

Like Cole described the benefits of the wood-composite blades are very noticeable in smoother operation and less vibration. This is primary due to the wood blades ability to absorb the common harmonics and vibrations of aircraft engines. Whereas the standard metal blades just can't decrease the waves but in some cases transfer it to the rest on the airframe. This vibration dampening with the MT's has been also noted in component life such as exhaust systems. After having this current aircraft for the last 34 years I just thought that having to repair the rear muffler every other annual was normal maintenance. Since having the MT's the frequency of repairs are more than 1/2 of what they used to be.

When I had the airplane painted last year I painted the rear blades, on the engine side, black. Much easier to maintain and no worry of all the cosmetic finish to maintain. I made a suggestion to MT about this and they were very interested because they had not thought about the position of this unit relative to the exhaust. The other benefit of the MT's is the new spinners. The design is much more pleasing and better materials.

All in all it's a winner. You have to replace both front and rear together so this is where most owners find it difficult because of the large cost factor. You won't be disappointed if you do it.

How about FOD on the rear? Has anyone had damage issues?