I find the automatic engine braking in my Arcus M disappointing. While my prop sometimes gets starts going down the on the first rotation after switch off, quite often it doesn't. If it misses twice, on the third time I try to use the manual prop brake, but that's difficult to do when flying (and pretty impossible to use the lowering switch at the same time and also fly). It is also difficult to know when the prop is accurately centered.

Does anyone have any recommendations for this process?

At the BGA conference at the weekend I saw the V3M Performance fuselage opment of the V3). The engine installation is very similar to ours but with some changes:

1. The V3 has a new Ilec controller, still 57 mm but with a larger colour screen. This will make it possible to see different engine parameters without having to scroll through by pressing the white button. The equivalent of the white button is a rotary knob.

2. The electronics have been set up to limit engine rpm to 6,000. This reduces quoted output from 68 hp to 62 hp, in order to reduce noise and vibration.

3. And the subject of this post - there is now a hinged arm style prop stop.. The V3M still has the hub braking system, the role of which is to get the prop close to vertical with or without the use of the starter, but once the prop is close to vertical a hinged arm style prop stop comes out to make sure the propeller does not go past the vertical.

I asked the engineer Andy whether there was any chance of retrofitting this to the Arcus M. He said it would not be a problem in engineering terms but it would be a management decision whether to do it. I suspect that other priorities and the difficult European approval procedures mean that they will not attempt it.