Prop failure....... Have you had one??

[SleepyC]

MICRO PROP EATING TERMITES! Those bastards! They find my prop tips all the time! But if they get in, you don't see em and BAM.
Sorry Terry that does suck.... what plane?!

 

[tylerzx9r]

I was there when @Terryscustom prop let go, it will be the third time I have heard it happen! All three times have been wood props but all three have been in different sizes. One time it was on an electric motor, the amazing thing to me is the sound... no matter the size, gas, or electric the sound was the same! I was not even looking at the plane as it happened and I knew instantly what it was! Horrific shudder noise! After seeing the destruction in this particular case I was amazed at the piloting skills Terry had to bring it in like he did! In this instance, and the other gas instance the vibration completely tears up the motor box, fuse, and front of the plane, in Terry's case, the damage seen in the tail also amazed me! I have come from a back round in mechanics, and have seen the destruction of engines when a crank or harmonic balancer goes bad on a high rev motor, and cannot begin to explain the domino effect of damage. For a wood fuse in this case, by far the worst I have seen! Cudo's for Terry to be able to save what he did!

 

[Pistolera]

OK Terry....we need some pics!!!!!!

 

[Terryscustom]

I'll take a few pics later today but want to avoid any type of brand slamming. Just one of those things that can happen. I did hear a carbon prop delaminate once on a plane like @Pistolera showed and that was a crazy noise! Also saw a helicopter delaminate a blade once and the result sounded like an angry chainsaw in a bundle of barb wire as it crashed to the ground.

 

[bigblueswope]

Pics of the damage Terry? Inquiring minds want to know...

 

[jtec/radiowave]

Terry,

Years ago at one of the last TOC in Vegas Peter Goldsmith had one let go. Pete said he had over 750 flights on it. Actually it probably let go due to age and use. If I remember correctly it stayed with the plane. It was Pete's big stick built Cap. It shook the hell out of it.

Al

 

[Snoopy1]

Terry was the hub and the bolts still on the engine and tight. Or was every thing missing off the front. From description in the first statement about the bamage to the plane the vibration from the prop or the fuse harmonics synchronized with each other. When that happens it is very violent and instantaneous. Only explaning the phenomenon could not tell you how or what caused the failure. Still be interested if the hub was still on the with the bolts tight.

 

[Terryscustom]

Terry was the hub and the bolts still on the engine and tight. Or was every thing missing off the front. From description in the first statement about the bamage to the plane the vibration from the prop or the fuse harmonics synchronized with each other. When that happens it is very violent and instantaneous. Only explaning the phenomenon could not tell you how or what caused the failure. Still be interested if the hub was still on the with the bolts tight.

See post 9, everything still in place. One of two blades exploded not both. Prop was 100% cause of failure. I'll get some pics in a bit.

 

[Husker]

I think riley had a bunch of sheared bolts on a carbon prop but im pretty sure the prop held on. Ive never seen a wood prop explode in the air. Pretty scary and one more reason to never stand or let anyone stand in the prop arc on the ground!

Yep. Broke bolts but never had one explode or come off though.

I have seen two of them shear bolts and fly off of other guys planes...Both had spinners and their prop bolts were not quite long enough because they didn't account for the back plate thickness. Luckily they were both in the air and a safe distance away. One of the props was around 26-27" that came off a da85 and it was found stuck in the ground past the hub.

 

[ThePledge]

It made a really loud, unnatural sound.

Sounded like this: