Any feedback on Catto Props?

[redbeardmark]

There is pretty good ground clearance with the 3 blade Catto prop. It makes me feel better when taking off from grass strips, decomposed granite strips in the backcountry, and poorly swept paved strips.
Mark Andrews

[lechnerl]

craig is a nice enough guy his finish is nice looking but let me tell you the not so rosey aspects of catto propellers. I have experience with catto propellers by way of the Reno Air Races.I have been involved in building and racing F1 planes at Reno for several years. Reno 2003 craig built propellers for our 2 planes.The propeller was provided at reno it was installed on the plane and I took it up for a test flight the day before qualifying. I was about 5 minutes into the flight when half of one blade separated from the rest of the propeller and all xxxx broke loose . I was able to regain controll of the plane and land but could not stop the plane before going over a cliff. I survived with 2 broken ankles but the plane did not. Why did the blade separate you ask?
Well believe it or not (I have pictures) the blank that this propeller was built from had a butt joint in one of the layers. This butt joint consummed 60% of the cross sectional area of the blabe where it broke. The purchaser of a catto propeller would not be abe to see this because it is hidded by a thick layer of bias ply fiberglass. This is not the only propeller failure that catto propellers have had as it turns out.Someone commented that craig made propellers for the bi-plane race class a reno . That is true and every one of those propellers failed. The year before craig had blade failures as well. It turns out that craig has quite a history of propeller non-design as I learned while sitting in a wheel chair at Reno. Do what you will but our catto propellers will all make pretty clocks and one of them has an exciting story.
I hope this is useful in making your decision.

Iam trying to attach a picture but am having trouble . if you want to see the innerworkings of cattos wood propeller email me lechnerl@mac.com

[hngrflyr]

There is a vital piece of information omitted in the account above. How fast was the propeller turning when it failed? My Catto Propeller is placarded for a maximum of 3200 RPM. I would not anticipate ever turning it that fast. I also know that they turn many racing engines faster than 4000 RPM. That's a significant increase over the placarded limit.
Hamilton Standard Propellers have also been known the throw blades when overspeeded. This is the first negative comment I've ever seen on Catto Propellers. Racing has a way of pushing many systems to, and through their mechanical limits.

[Leland]

Bill Von Dane has a preliminary comparison of a 2-bladed Sterba prop with a 3-blade Catto prop on an RV8: http://www.rv8a.com/engine/catto/

I also have a Catto 3-blade but have not flown with it yet. You can pay Craig an extra $120 and he will fit your spinner cone to the prop and the backplate but you have to send him the parts or get them drop shipped from Van's.
Leland

[tridge]

Anything new on the Catto three blade? Building a 7a IO-360 -180.