Prop and Cowl Details

This is the new propeller from Catto Propellers. It is a wood core composite prop that is 72" in diameter and has a pitch of 58". One of the features of these props is how the pitch can flatten out several inches under the loads of slower flight like the take-off climb. The increases the RPM of the engine and allows more power to be used effectively at slower speeds. This is similar to the benefit of a constant-speed prop, but not to the same extent.

The spinner is a 13" Van's RV part. Catto cut the spinner for the prop and pilot drilled the bulkheads and spinner. This is a time saver for me. The old spinner was about 10", so the look with the new prop and spinner will be noticeable and I think an improvement.

The cowl will need to be cleaned up after 30+ years of use. It has a few chips and dings that will get fixed. The blister for the starter will also get removed when I install the new Skytec cantilever inline starter. I'll remove the blister and patch the hole with fiberglass. With a little sanding, it will look just like the other side of the cowl and much cleaner.