Proping Question

On May 15, 2:47 pm, "Morgans" wrote:
"Robert M. Gary" wrote

BTW: I would never hand prop a nosewheel plane.

I think I know the reason for this opinion, but I would still be interested
in hearing your reasoning.

Why no hand propping a nose dragger for you?

Because the top arch of the prop is close to my head. When teaching
students to hand prop the biggest challenge is to get them to stand
close enough to the prop. Standing too far back is much more dangerous
than standing too close. The worst thing that could happen is to fall
into the prop, something that can only happen if you are standing back
and leaning into it.

-Robert

"Robert M. Gary" wrote

Because the top arch of the prop is close to my head. When teaching
students to hand prop the biggest challenge is to get them to stand
close enough to the prop. Standing too far back is much more dangerous
than standing too close. The worst thing that could happen is to fall
into the prop, something that can only happen if you are standing back
and leaning into it.

I was wrong. I had not heard that exact variation, before. g

Kicking though is still too close, even if you are swinging your body away
from the tip?
--
Jim in NC

Kicking though is still too close, even if you are swinging your body away
from the tip?

What exactly is "kicking"?

Jose
--
There are two kinds of people in the world. Those that just want to
know what button to push, and those that want to know what happens when
they push the button.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

On Thu, 17 May 2007 04:05:57 GMT, Jose
wrote:

Kicking though is still too close, even if you are swinging your body away
from the tip?

What exactly is "kicking"?

You're facing the prop from the front ot the plane. The blade is at
10 o'clock, at the start of a compression stroke,. You've previously
primed the engine and pulled the prop through several compressions
with the switch cold and the mixture rich.

Now you holler "Hot!, Brakes!" (assuming somebody's in the cockpit --
otherwise you switch the mags to hot and check the chocks and tiedown.

Reach up, pads of your fingers just over the top of the blade. Left
leg on ground, right leg swings forward and smartly back at the same
time that you snap the blade down. The leg swing propels your body
backward, away from the propeller arc.

That was the drill on the Taylorcraft. Cub pilots can swing the prop
from behind because of the way the doors work. I guess you'd have to
prop a T-craft on floats from behind, too, but it wouldn't be pretty
to look at.

It took the lady who sold me the plane about ten minutes to teach it
to me. It feels kinda natural. If it's a big exertion, you're doing
it wrong.

Don

On Wed, 16 May 2007 21:39:54 -0700, Don Tuite
wrote:

Now you holler "Hot!, Brakes!" (assuming somebody's in the cockpit --
otherwise you switch the mags to hot and check the chocks and tiedown.

With me, it's BRAKES! CRACKED! (referring to the throttle), HOT!

Reach up, pads of your fingers just over the top of the blade. Left
leg on ground, right leg swings forward and smartly back at the same
time that you snap the blade down. The leg swing propels your body
backward, away from the propeller arc.

Huh. With me it's the left leg that swings. Then the right leg turns
me farther back and to the left, out of the propeller arc.

Blue skies! -- Dan Ford

In article ,
Cubdriver usenet AT danford DOT net wrote:

On Wed, 16 May 2007 21:39:54 -0700, Don Tuite
wrote:

Now you holler "Hot!, Brakes!" (assuming somebody's in the cockpit --
otherwise you switch the mags to hot and check the chocks and tiedown.

With me, it's BRAKES! CRACKED! (referring to the throttle), HOT!

Reach up, pads of your fingers just over the top of the blade. Left
leg on ground, right leg swings forward and smartly back at the same
time that you snap the blade down. The leg swing propels your body
backward, away from the propeller arc.

Huh. With me it's the left leg that swings. Then the right leg turns
me farther back and to the left, out of the propeller arc.

Blue skies! -- Dan Ford

I was taught:

SWITCH OFF!

BRAKES!

(Propping guy pushes plane to verify)

THROTTLE CRACKED!

CONTACT! (so as not to confuse with switch on)

Now the propping begins.

On May 16, 3:05 pm, "Morgans" wrote:
"Robert M. Gary" wrote

Because the top arch of the prop is close to my head. When teaching
students to hand prop the biggest challenge is to get them to stand
close enough to the prop. Standing too far back is much more dangerous
than standing too close. The worst thing that could happen is to fall
into the prop, something that can only happen if you are standing back
and leaning into it.

I was wrong. I had not heard that exact variation, before. g

Kicking though is still too close, even if you are swinging your body away
from the tip?
--
Jim in NC

In a tailwheel, as you pull the prop "down" during the kick you are
also moving toward yourself (because of the angle the taildragger sits
on the ground), which helps you maintain contact as you are moving
away from it. In a nose wheel plane you'd be pushing straight down on
the prop, causing your head to move down closer to the prop arch.

-Robert