As a courtesy to other owners of RV aircraft, I have been offering to balance their propellers free of charge for the past 3 months. For over 12 years, I worked as a consultant with a company manufacturing vibration monitoring and analysis equipment. I recently acquired a dynavibe classic with the intent of balancing the prop on my 7 when I finish building but in the meantime I decided to help others and get to know the experimental community since I have been building in my garage. I have balanced 6 lycoming engines, 5 with CS props. What I am astonished by is the very small response I have gotten with the free offer including all necessary hardware. Are builders just unaware of what damage vibration causes or do they just not care?
Typical response: During a conversation with someone I know at the airport with a RV-10. Asked if he had balanced his prop. "Nope." Would you like me to balance it for you? "Nope." Maybe people think I am just a "rube" that fell off a turnip turnip truck. I'll have to self analyze that one.
Interesting note is that all of the lycomings with CS props had a vibration level of over .3 IPS. That is on the borderline between slightly and moderately rough. That would definitely be a noticeable vibration but maybe we have just gotten used to that level of vibration and consider it normal. As for CS props, maybe they just have too many movable parts to obtain a good static balance. Not sure whats going on with that but they definitely vibrate.
So the question is why are owners ignoring the cancer eating away at their aircraft? I don't care if it is free or costs $300, it is cost effective. I know enough about vibration to know it causes damage.
Typical response: During a conversation with someone I know at the airport with a RV-10. Asked if he had balanced his prop. "Nope." Would you like me to balance it for you? "Nope." Maybe people think I am just a "rube" that fell off a turnip turnip truck. I'll have to self analyze that one.
Interesting note is that all of the lycomings with CS props had a vibration level of over .3 IPS. That is on the borderline between slightly and moderately rough. That would definitely be a noticeable vibration but maybe we have just gotten used to that level of vibration and consider it normal. As for CS props, maybe they just have too many movable parts to obtain a good static balance. Not sure whats going on with that but they definitely vibrate.
So the question is why are owners ignoring the cancer eating away at their aircraft? I don't care if it is free or costs $300, it is cost effective. I know enough about vibration to know it causes damage.
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