WingsOnWheels
Well Known Member
I have a 2 blade Catto on my O-360 powered 6A. At about 110 hobbs hours I discovered numerous cord-wise cracks in the nickel leading edges, both on the face and back. In addition to the cracks, a tap-test revealed delamination of the nickel. Of course the prop had to go back for repairs.
Unfortunately for a slow-builder like me, Catto's warranty is based on calendar time from delivery, not first flight or operational hours. The repair was not covered under warranty. Due to all the COVID supply chain issues, the quoted 4-week repair turned into 2.5 months (including airventure week...boo). The cost of repairs and shipping was a little more than half the purchase price of the prop.
So, my recomendation is to avoid the nickel leading edges. They seem to be a point of failure and the repair cost is high.
To date, the hourly maintenace cost of my FP prop is higher than the engine, including OH reserve.
Unfortunately for a slow-builder like me, Catto's warranty is based on calendar time from delivery, not first flight or operational hours. The repair was not covered under warranty. Due to all the COVID supply chain issues, the quoted 4-week repair turned into 2.5 months (including airventure week...boo). The cost of repairs and shipping was a little more than half the purchase price of the prop.
So, my recomendation is to avoid the nickel leading edges. They seem to be a point of failure and the repair cost is high.
To date, the hourly maintenace cost of my FP prop is higher than the engine, including OH reserve.
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