Prop fitting with custom spinner.

Hi, all.

It's time to fit the cowl.

When I purchased a prop a couple of years ago, it came with a fancy custom purple spinner. This prop used to be on Robbie Attaway's RV6, according to the logbook, and I seem to remember pics of it on his site before he changed to the Whirlwind on there currently. I could be wrong, it may have been on another metallic purple airplane of his not pictured.

Here it is in the crate when it arrived:


The issue is this: Since it's a custom spinner, it's got a custom spinner bulkhead, shown here:


This pic shows the standoffs behind the hub, which, including the plate, measure 2 1/4", which is the measurement called out by the Van's docs.

So the question is, how do I set up the proper spacers and plate to simulate the prop?

Do I just suck it up and hang the prop, using it to fit the cowl instead of a mockup?

Will fitting the cowl to this prop/spinner forever doom the aircraft to using this custom spinner configuration?

I like the spinner (however, it will be repainted), and I'd like to save some money and time if possible by using it.

If you are going to use that spinner, I would hang the prop to fit the cowl.

Rick Maury

I use an old prop hub half. You bolt the rear bulkhead to the flange end of the dummy prop hub half and mount it on the engine with 2o r 3 of the studs.

Ask around your airport, someone should have one that they pass around to the guys.

Other ways to do it but this is what I usually do. As you said you can hang the prop but you risk a few scratches.

I'd like to know who makes that spinner and bulkhead.

Bob, the logbook just says "Custom spinner by Jerry Herold."

You could try to contact Robbie Attaway, but I didn't get a response last time I tried using the email address on his site.