How hard is the C/S prop to fly??

[tkatc]

Ok. Some of you may know that I am in the market for a 6A or 7A (Maybe even a 9A). I would like to build at some point but as of now I just want to buy a flying RV. I just completed my transition training with Jan Bussell in Florida and you guys were right. He is a great instructor. Patient, deliberate, calming. He put all my fears aside and while I don't profess to be an expert, I am confident I can fly an RV without bending it up.

While searching for the right plane for me I continually run into aircraft with a constant speed prop. I am trying to avoid a constant speed prop because it adds more complexity. Maybe because I have never flown one I don't know how simple it really is but I figure you guys could tell me what you think....is it that much harder?

[pierre smith]

...just don't overthink it. Everything is full forward for takeoff...prop, mixture and throttle. After you're established on your climb, dial the prop control back to around 2500RPM. Leave it there 'til you reach your altitude and throttle back to whatever manifold pressure you're going to run...usually around 23".

Either leave the prop where it is or dial it back to around 2400 or less....suit yourself...that's it. The rest of the flight is done with the throttle and only when you're on final for landing do you push the prop control forward...and that's not even necessary..you do that in case of a go-around, it'll allow the engine to go to redline...RV's will go around just fine with the prop at 2400.

BTW...congratulations on completing your training...

Best,

[Jamie]

I had hardly ever flown a C/S prop before I finished my RV.

It's dead simple. There is no magic to it at all. Blue knob full forward for takeoff and landing. On take-off once upwind turn the blue knob back to 2500RPM. At cruise, turn it back to 2450/2400/2380 (those are my typical power settings according what I'm doing).

The great thing about a C/S prop is you can pitch the nose up and down and not worry about overspeeding the prop...unless you're Kevin Horton of course.

Basic premise is...you dial in a desired RPM. If the engine has enough power to achieve that RPM, that is the RPM your prop will turn. The governor changes the blade pitch the achieve the constant RPM...and that's where the Constant Speed prop moniker comes from. Note that this is different from an in-flight adjustable pitch prop.

[fstringham7a]

As Pierre and Jamie said.

Like you I thought, Man this must be Complex, What to do, When to do it, ......

Get with a CFI and a Constant Speed Prop for a bit of training and you will soon be on your way.

Frank @ 1L8 ...RV7A... Flying and Tracken (MT-RTG)

[airguy]

I put a few hours in a 172XP, and had it all figured out in nothing flat. It's the simplest "complexity" you're likely to run across in the aviation world. See if you can find a friend or FBO to borrow/rent a plane with C/S prop and try it out with an instructor.

[Bob Axsom]

It adds performance capability over the whole operating scenario. Operationally it is very natural. It should not be something that would direct you away from an otherwise acceptable airplane because of operational complexity. There is an annual lube requirement and a calendar and operational overhaul period so it is not the most simple, cheapest or maintenance free choice. If you are watching your bucks and can't or don't do your own maintenance maybe you want to keep looking for a good fixed pitch prop airplane. When you are ready to land throttle back push the prop to max rpm and fly it with the throttle like a fixed pitch prop.

Bob Axsom

[Rosie]

I AGREE with everything everyone has said thus far: I had ~2800 hours Total Time in my logbook, ALL fixed pitch, when I installed my constant speed prop. It took about 10 minutes instruction in the pattern with my friend Howard Long to learn how to use it properly Rosie

[Ironflight]

Originally Posted by Rosie

It took about 10 minutes instruction in the pattern with my friend Howard Long to learn how to use it properly Rosie

What took you so long Rosie...slow learner?

Like everyone else has said - it's hard to figure out why they call it "complex" - very easy to use.

[Louise Hose]

When I started looking to buy an RV, I wanted an "A" model and not C/S because I had no experience with either and relatively low time. Well, like you, the reality of the market caused me to reconsider on both fronts. (It was a seller's market five years ago with far less choices in my limited price range than right now!) So, I bought a taildragger with a C/S and did my transition training with effectively no experience in either.

Somehow, I found the C/S the issue that put stress over the top at first. I can't explain why since it is a dirt simple thing to learn and do, but it seemed like the thing that overwhelmed me the most. Of course, learning to land (and take-off) in a taildragger was really the challenge, followed by mastering the speed/power, but the C/S was the annoyance that drove me nuts. Once I got comfortable with the other issues, the C/S became a complete non-issue.

You seem to have an advantage of a little RV experience and you plan to stick with an "A" model, so I expect it will be absolutely no big deal at all.

[Toobuilder]

Originally Posted by tkatc

...Maybe because I have never flown one I don't know how simple it really is but I figure you guys could tell me what you think....is it that much harder?

It's about as hard as setting the volume level on your home stereo.

I think where people get worked up is the old myth about running "oversquare" or the "order" required when adjusting the various knobs. But like most have said: takeoff and landing with the blue knob full foward; after that, simply dial in the RPM you want. It's easier than learning how to properly use the red knob - and you have that one down, right?

Go for it!