Pulling by the Prop

[PTK]

Quote: maropers

WOW is this thread REALLY STILL GOING

[alex]

Quote: jetdriven

Nobody can produce any data  or a single incident showing that pulling your plane out of its spot by the prop is bad, but "it says right here" from some obscure document with no suporting data. Plenty of noise, but as they say "show me the data".

Your POH says to increase mixture to FULL RICH before making any power change, and cruising with a CHT at 465 dF is "normal".

 

The rest of us will continue with established practice as is has been working since the wright brothers.

[mooneym20d]

Quote: alex ...I'll go watch FOX and see if they can give me an answer.

I have a better idea - Go watch MSNBC - they'll give you a distorted, one sided answer.

[John Pleisse]

 

[PTK]

Quote: mooneym20d

 

[alex]

Quote: allsmiles

 

[mooneym20d]

Quote: alex

CNN or MSNBC either or!  

[PTK]

And can't forget Rachel Maddow. Is that a man or a woman?!?

[aviatoreb]

Quote: N6719N

By any chance was that Byam?  

Add me to the list of those that move planes by pushing or pulling on the prop.  And I have been doing it for many years, and many, many airplanes, and listening to those people telling me that you should only use a tow bar.  I doubt I have hurt any aircraft or engines by using the prop.  Spinners, cowls, wings and horizontal stabilizers are strictly off limits.

And for the record, I am a degreed engineer with more education in physics, materials, and mathematics than most people could imagine.  Experience?  I worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

So please, if you meet me, don't give me any crap about moving my airplane by pushing or pulling on the prop.

[N601RX]

The tips bend a lot easier than the root.   The crank had .008 runout according to the owner.

[Shadrach]

Wow, that dude was strong...

 

[bnicolette]

Hope this helps this debate to some degree. This is an email I got back from Lycoming concerning this question. I deleted his name for his protection. 

Hello Brett,

The hand applied loads to the inboard portion of the propeller that you describe are very unlikely to adversely affect the engine.

The safety risks of touching or rotating the propeller by hand are significant and this should be avoided.

Best regards,


Lycoming Engines
Field Service Engineer
Seattle WA, USA
360-403-9867

[fantom]

The depth of this entire thread has me thinking.............get a jet

[MARZ]

Quote: Bnicolette

The hand applied loads to the inboard portion of the propeller that you describe are very unlikely to adversely affect the engine.

The safety risks of touching or rotating the propeller by hand are significant and this should be avoided.

[maniago]

Attached Images

I would like to note two things about this picture that PK posted.

1) What Mooney model is this, because I want one!

2) The propeller on her head is bent.  Someone must have been pushing and pulling by it

(BTW, on reflection, my above comment is entirely out of line and un-professional.  I will delete it...later)

[thinwing]

just looking at that photo plainly shows the dangers of smoking..just look at that poor girls swollen chest!!

[John Pleisse]

Perfectly loaded, good W&B.

[nels]

Quote: maniago

Attached Images

I would like to note two things about this picture that PK posted.

1) What Mooney model is this, because I want one!

2) The propeller on her head is bent.  Someone must have been pushing and pulling by it

(BTW, on reflection, my above comment is entirely out of line and un-professional.  I will delete it...later)

[fantom]

Quote: nels

[maniago]

Quote: nels

 The prop might be bent but the spinner's look very aerodynamic.

[PTK]

Quote: maniago

I think her hand is on the spinner and someone needs to tell her that you don't push on the spinner.  That said, I'd like to be the first to inspect it for dents!

[ionel]

 

 As others have indicated pushing and pulling on the prop is not recommended.  However, why would one need to pull, the standard tow bar should be sufficient on pavement.  As others have indicated while cornering and pulling with the tow bar simply place one hand (no force) on the prop near the spinner to stabilize yourself.  If on grass or mud you might need help.

If I have passengers, I always have them help push the plane back in the hanger while I simply steer with the tow bar.  If by myself I do start pushing the plane back into the hanger by applying equal force to the tow bar and prop just outside the spinner. 

Other(s) have indicated pushing on the cowl.  In my opinion that is a potentially much worse option.  Think of how relatively fragile the cowl connection is to the frame/airplane structure etc. and how easily one could push it out of proper alignment thus causing rubbing on the spinner bulkhead in flight and then bulkhead or spinner cracking.  If you’ve had a bulkhead or spinner crack you know how sensitive they are to proper balance.

As allsmiles indicated, I have seen mechanics (& at a MSC) pulling a plane in to the shop by the prop.  I even saw one lean his arm elbow on my spinner and immediately asked him not to do this.  This was a MSC where after a new engine (factory reman) install we went through 2-3 spinners until finding the minor washer adjustment needed to stop the cracking.  So I really couldn’t believe someone in a MSC would lean on a Mooney spinner.  Kind of makes you wonder what happens when you aren’t there to observe.

My rule is don’t push or pull unless there are no options and then only push if on relatively level pavement and very light force near the prop root.  At other airports, if an option, I always opt for parking where I can pull into place with the tow bar versus where I might need to push back.  But never ever push on the spinner or cowl or anything that might translate force to the spinner bulkhead.

 

[sleepingsquirrel]

 

http://www.pponk.com/HTML PAGES/propellers.html

this may help dispel the OWT that a human being can damage a propeller by pulling on it at the hub.

[RobertGary1]

On 2/11/2012 at 5:19 AM, ionel said:

 

 

 As others have indicated pushing and pulling on the prop is not recommended.  However, why would one need to pull, the standard tow bar should be sufficient on pavement.  As others have indicated while cornering and pulling with the tow bar simply place one hand (no force) on the prop near the spinner to stabilize yourself.  If on grass or mud you might need help.

 

 

 

I'm a big dude and consider myself stronger than average. But pushing a Mooney with a good amount of fuel, especially if there is a slight uphill, by the tow bar is as miserable as it is difficult. Unless you have some special super fancy tow bar.

 

-Robert

[MyNameIsNobody]

One mans misery is another's cardio...