Feedback on Aymar-Demuth Propellers ?

[dealfair]

Originally Posted by humptybump

I hope you will report back on how the switch from the Aymar-Demuth to a 3-blade Catto performs. I personally am very interested as this is exactly the switch I have been contemplating (and mostly for the same reason

I surely will Glen. "Ole Sweetie" is being refurbished by the fine fellas at Hotel Whiskey Aviation presently; and we hope to have her going again really soon.

Jeff Hanson, there, has a 3 blade Catto on his -4 and swears by it.

Happy flying,

Deal Fair

[petersb]

Originally Posted by pierre smith

4000 since overhaul! Incredible! I hope it's not a misprint because that has to be a new record. I've personally seen two go 3,000 hours but 4,000..amazing

Best,

No misprint, infact our localflying club run theirs 3500 before overhaul. The mechanic says they are just starting to show wear. The secret is to fly regular, in me case three tmis a week most weeks. Just finished a trip from Toronto to the Bahamas, Sun Fun, Toronto. Arrived at Sun Fun 10 minutes before the tornado on Thursday, not by Plane by rental car, left the Plane at WinterHaven.

Peter

[smokyray]

Glen,

I test flew my RV4 in 1996 and over a 10 year period tested 8 props on it including an Aymar Demuth. The props included Sterba, AD, Margie Warnke, Bernie Warnke, Sensenich Metal, Catto, MT and Hertzler. I was fortunate to be able to test Craig Catto's first 2 blade RV prop on my RV4 and flew against many equal HP RV's with different props including the Catto 3 blade. With the exception of smoothness, the 2 blade Catto outperformed the three blade in every category. I sold my 4 with the MT on it and my Hertzler is also flying on an RV4 in TX. Margie's masterpiece adorns our mantle
So you ask which prop performed best? Hands down the MT fixed pitch 2 blade and the Catto 2 blade were nearly identical in performance with a slight edge to the MT. Margie Warnke's Claw (no longer in production, she retired) and Gary Hertzler's composite "silver bullet" prop were both excellent as well but didn't handle the rain down here like the MT.
My current 150 HP RVX has an MT 2 blade that reaches near perfection for the airframe/engine as well. The MT does very well in rain and is a certified prop world-wide in production with service centers available.
Recently, Craig built me a beautiful nickel leading edge 2 blade for the "X" and I test flew it last week. Testing showed it to be a great climb prop but way under-pitched. (3200 RPM max!) However, he has kindly allowed me to exchange it for one with more pitch.

You can't beat Craig's product and service after the sale, great guy and gorgeous props!

Smokey

www.mt-propellerusa.com
www.cattoprops.com
hertzler@yahoo.com

[smoke]

I am the "guy in Texas" that has Rob Ray's Silver bullet prop. As he said, it is a wonderful propeller with perfect performance on my 160 hp RV4.
That propeller is now sitting on the shelf... I came across a Margie Warnke 3 blade "air claw". This prop performs even better than the silver bullet !
The "almost constant speed" label lives up to it's name. Static rpm to WOT at 5000 ft is 2350 to 2650. The propeller really does change pitch. The silver bullet had a rpm range of 2200 static to 2820 WOT. The climb is 300FPM better, but the top end is 2kt slower.
Whereas the bullet was a vast improvement over the sensi metal prop, the Air claw is, for my purposes, working out better than the bullet.

[dealfair]

Hi Smokey,

I understand you talk to Craig frequently. What is his average delivery time these days????

I ordered my 3 blade back in early 2007 when he was working by himself and overwhelmed with orders. I understand he has staffed up and has some help now. He told me he can get a 2 blade out faster (understandably) than the 3 blader; so can you give us a guesstimate??

Thanks,

Deal Fair

[smokyray]

Hi Deal,

Yes, Craig has added staff and increased production to match demand. Thirty to forty-five days lead time seems to be the range now. Craig's props are vastly different than the one I owned for 10 years with a new blade design similar to Paul Lipps propellers and a nickel leading edge.

You might contact "smoke" and ask him if he would part with the SB. It would give you excellent performance as well.

Smokey

Parting thought: The fastest piston engine airplane for it's weight class right now is running a Catto prop as well as the previous record holder. Also, the Predator drone uses a Catto prop, great product Craig also manufactures Paul Lipps "Ellipse" props

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lstJFqHyfeg
http://www.eaa.org/experimenter/arti...02_elippse.asp

[humptybump]

Great to hear about the different props and first-person experience. I contacted Craig about a Catto prop and his suggestion was the two-blade. He said it would be a direct swap for the AD if/when I decided. Given all the news here, I'll stay with the AD for a good while !

[breister]

Here is my experience with that manufacturer.

Plane came with 3 props, the one on the plane had less than 300 hrs on it and was only on because the Prince P-tip was in the shop getting the leading edge refinished.

[MikeS]

> the Prince P-tip was in the shop getting the leading edge refinished.

Boy is that a common problem with his props. All it takes is a little rain . . . and I mean little.

I hear he has gone to an embedded metal leading edge. That sounds like it'll work a lot better.

[N999BT]

I have flown with two different two blade props and a three blade on my -4. The first two blade was a Aymar Demuth wood, and performance wise it was great. However, one prop tip departed one day and the performance was not so good after that. The others are Catto, great props.

I have heard of several instances of prop failures like the one I had, all with AD props. I think it has something to do with the way they protect the leading edge from rain. AD routs out the leading edge causing a notch in the wood, and then fills it with some kind of composite that has iron filings in it for erosion protection. I am not willing to put another one one my plane, but others obviously have a different opinion about this.