Bringing a Model 1 back to life

[jrthomas]

It sounds like your Model 1 spent several years with some exposure to the weather since you said Ravens poked holes in the wings. If those props were not stored in a dry place I would have some concerns. I have a fair amount of time flying a friends Model 2/582 with a GSC 3 blade. I was a good performer and gave good service for the few years he owned it. Another friend owned a Kolb Mark 3/582/GSC that spent much of its life tied down outside. I wasn't flown for some time and when it did the blades would change pitch. He could reset the pitch and torque the hub to spec but the blades would turn again resulting in a lot of vibration. He determined that being exposed to the weather, the humidity caused the wooded blades to swell and shrink in the hub. He did what GSC said not to do and milled a small amount off the face of the hub. This seemed to work. He sold the Kolb and it was flown from NC to Ohio so I assume his fix worked. I flew behind a 503 with an Ivo for years. They seem to work very well with a 503 with zero maintenance issues and they're the easiest prop I know to adjust pitch. Several friends had 503's with Ivo's and they all had good service and performance. I would think a good used one could be bought cheap. I bought an unfinished Model 4/912ul that came from Kitfox in '95 with a GSC. I never flew with it, sold it and bought a Kiev. James Thomas

[avidflyer]

I had an ultra prop years ago on a Quicksilver MX. Friend of mine had one on his Flightstar. They do make a lot of noise, and when my friend changed to a differernt prop, his performance improved quite a bit. It's not a prop I would recommend based on what I've seen and what I've read. I think the newer style Brolga prop blades are more efficient than the regular Ultra Prop blades. One thing to remember, prop pitch will effect your EGTs. A lightly loaded engine will run higher EGTs. That can be a recipe for disaster. I recently sold a couple of props that would have worked for you. A 64" 3 blade IVO, and a 66" 2 blade Powerfin. They belonged to a friend of mine who passed away last winter. JImChuk

[Good old number 29]

I’ve been looking at a lot of different props, and the Ivoprop looks like a good way to go. Hopefully, one or both of these that I have will be servicable, and I won’t have to buy a new one right away. I’m trying to keep expenses to reasonable amounts. The most econonomical thing to do would be to buy new GSC blades, if needed, but considering long term practicality, I might be better off with a composite. We get a fair amount of rain here, besides freeze and thaw cycles, which is hard on wood, if it’s left outside. If it works out the way I’d like it to, I’ll be able to plow in a grass strip, here at my place, and I can fold the wings and stuff it in the shop.

Matt