Propeller option PA-24 250

[Chrisgoesflying]

Here in Canada, we have to overhaul our propellers every ten years. Mine is due in August and I’m starting to look for options. I currently have the three blade McCauley propeller installed. It only has a few hundred hours but still needs an overhaul due to the ten year mandate. I figured my options are the following and probably end up costing around the same once all is said and done, +/- a little bit:

1. Overhaul the current propeller. That’s the most straightforward solution.

2. Buy an overhauled three blade McCauley propeller and sell mine.

3. Buy another kind of new or freshly overhauled propeller and sell mine.

First question, what would you do? Second question, of the propeller options eligible for the 1960 Comanche 250, is there a better option than the three blade McCauley? One that’s even faster, climbs even better or is quieter?

 

[brien23]

Here in Canada, we have to overhaul our propellers every ten years. Mine is due in August and I’m starting to look for options. I currently have the three blade McCauley propeller installed. It only has a few hundred hours but still needs an overhaul due to the ten year mandate. I figured my options are the following and probably end up costing around the same once all is said and done, +/- a little bit:

1. Overhaul the current propeller. That’s the most straightforward solution.

2. Buy an overhauled three blade McCauley propeller and sell mine.

3. Buy another kind of new or freshly overhauled propeller and sell mine.

First question, what would you do? Second question, of the propeller options eligible for the 1960 Comanche 250, is there a better option than the three blade McCauley? One that’s even faster, climbs even better or is quieter?

Propeller overhaul every 10 years good idea, some of the props down in the U.S. are crap and need a requirement like that to force cheap owners to take care of their propellers before it kills them. The only thing cheap in aviation are the pilots.

 

[Pinecone]

The problem with mandating an overhaul is, the blades get ground whether they need them or not. So, after a few overhauls, you are buying new blades.

At least in the US, I can send my prop for an IRAN and only get what is needed fixed.

 

[Jim K]

Specifically for a Comanche I'm not sure, but Scimitar props are the new hotness. I don't think they have enough performance advantage to spend money to change over though. I looked into it, but with the value of my used 3 blade I figured I'd be out 8-10K. @SixPapaCharlie has little wings on his that make him go faster, but I don't think that particular STC is available any more. I seriously considered a composite MT (Which is also available for the pa24) for the light weight, but decided it was too much money and I've heard stories about it being difficult to get service & parts. I was quoted around 20K for my Lance. I think your best option is to stick with what you have.

 

[lblandina]

Propeller overhaul every 10 years good idea, some of the props down in the U.S. are crap and need a requirement like that to force cheap owners to take care of their propellers before it kills them. The only thing cheap in aviation are the pilots.

Let's mandate O/H every five years and then we don't have to wonder why all these other countries never had a GA industry. I don't look to Canada for guidance on anything!

 

[bnt83]

Propeller overhaul every 10 years good idea, some of the props down in the U.S. are crap and need a requirement like that to force cheap owners to take care of their propellers before it kills them. The only thing cheap in aviation are the pilots.

Would there be a MEASURABLE reduction in prop failures? I'm betting no.

Expanding, is a NEW crankshaft better than a 55 years old & 2000 hours total time, that has never had a prop strike and no corrosion issues? Who's turn is it for next round of new crankshaft ADs? Superior Airparts just had theirs.

 

[hindsight2020]

Propeller overhaul every 10 years good idea, some of the props down in the U.S. are crap and need a requirement like that to force cheap owners to take care of their propellers before it kills them. The only thing cheap in aviation are the pilots.

With friend like these..

Gawd i cant wait for mosaic to deliver a hail mary and create an expanded LSRM for prior non-lsa airplanes. Id incur the training even as an eab owner just for the schadenfreude.

 

[Chrisgoesflying]

Would there be a MEASURABLE reduction in prop failures? I'm betting no.

Expanding, is a NEW crankshaft better than a 55 years old & 2000 hours total time, that has never had a prop strike and no corrosion issues? Who's turn is it for next round of new crankshaft ADs? Superior Airparts just had theirs.

Actually, COPA (which is our AOPA) did a study in that regard using U.S. data and they found that there is no measurable evidence that the U.S. has a higher accident rate caused by propeller failures compared to Canada. They presented the study to Transport Canada in order to get rid of the 10 year overhaul mandate and Transport Canada refused saying that they don't care about U.S. data, this is Canada. Kind of stupid as a reason because 99% of our planes up here are Cessnas, Pipers, Beechs, etc. which are, you guessed it, U.S. planes. The matter of the fact is, prop shops in Canada don't want to lose that business and simply lobbied Transport Canada harder than COPA did. Because it's mandatory, prop shops up here gauge their prices. I got quotes of $4,000 per blade in Canada (I have three blades) while I got quotes from the U.S. charging $3,000 for the entire propeller. That's why I'll do my overhaul south of the border. Sure, flying to the States, hotel cost, etc. I'll probably end up close to what I would have paid in Canada but I still won't get it done in Canada just to not support this daylight robbery.