Certification

[pylon500]

I'm not sure sometimes whether to mention something thereby letting everyone (including naysayers) know about it, or just keep quiet and not get noticed.Todays dilemma is props, I like props, I've got a nice collection on my shed wall!My hassle is with certified ultralights that come with a specific prop and you are supposed to stick with it?My

 

view is that props on aircraft are like tires on cars, they generate

 

about 20 to 30 percent of the overall range of abilities that can be

 

displayed by a car or plane.Many argue that the 'manufacturer' knows best, and will supply the optimun prop for the aircraft.Basically this is crap!More than 50 percent of a manufacturers decision as to which prop to fit is driven by cost.All

 

the prop manufacturers out there are vying to get their item on your

 

aircraft and I think it should be up to the user of the aircraft to

 

decide what specific use they have for the aircraft and be able to

 

choose the prop that suits that need.And if the manufacturer supplies you with a 'lump of wood' because it's cost effective (to him) you should have the option to replace it with your own choice.I started ultralighting with assorted two blade woods, then could afford a three blade wood.It was nice, I could dial up (on the ground) just the pitch I wanted and feel a lot less vibration.Then there was a big panic because an abused version of my three blade wood came apart!By now I could finally afford to go composite and have done a lot of flying behind a very nice French prop.Then with an engine change I needed a bigger prop so bought a local black composite prop which is doing very well.All

 

this time I have been doing a lot of flying in a 'certified' ultralight

 

which when fitted with the 'correct' prop has very poor performance.Anyone

 

out there flying a locally produced, 912 powered machine with a wooden

 

'stick' can see how much better others are doing when they change to a

 

more modern prop.How do we go about removing propellors from the certification process?

 

 

[Guest howard]

"How do we go about removing propellors from the certification process?"

 

Simple. Get CASA to change the rules which see props as a primary component.