Found nick on the tip of the prop, what to do?

[liuk]

Hello all, during today's pre-flight, I noticed a small nick on the tip of the prop (see attached picture). I have a HC-C2YK-1BF prop, searching through the Hartzell owner manual, it did provide guidelines about nicks on the leading edge as well as front and back, but didn't say anything about the tip. So, what would you do with this kind of nick? If you are to file it, do you have any suggestions about how to do it? Thanks a lot.

 

[tass]

Hello all, during today's pre-flight, I noticed a small nick on the tip of the prop (see attached picture). I have a HC-C2YK-1BF prop, searching through the Hartzell owner manual, it did provide guidelines about nicks on the leading edge as well as front and back, but didn't say anything about the tip. So, what would you do with this kind of nick? If you are to file it, do you have any suggestions about how to do it? Thanks a lot.

My reading of the manual would consider that as a nick on the leading edge.

As for how to file it while maintaining a "smooth, blended depression that maintains the original shape of the blade airfoil" - hopefully someone else can answer that!

 

[Roadjunkie1]

Hello all, during today's pre-flight, I noticed a small nick on the tip of the prop (see attached picture). I have a HC-C2YK-1BF prop, searching through the Hartzell owner manual, it did provide guidelines about nicks on the leading edge as well as front and back, but didn't say anything about the tip. So, what would you do with this kind of nick? If you are to file it, do you have any suggestions about how to do it? Thanks a lot.

First: GOOD PICKUP ON PREFLIGHT!! There are many who might have missed that!

Get out your small file set and select the smallest round file. Start from the back of the prop filing towards the front to take the sharp edges off of this nick. You should be making the nick wider/longer rather than significantly deeper. You will end up with a small groove rather than a nick. Then, with a small flat or oval file, smooth that out further to spread the area out in all directions. This will help make the stress vectors smaller and spread out, which is your goal. Take off only as little as you need to smooth this out. There will likely still be a palpable dent where the nick once was. If you want to be exacting, put a similar groove in the other tip. If you want to be certain, consult with a propeller shop! IMHO YMMV

I have seen large nicks in props that were smoothed out to be almost impossible to see. I saw one prop that hit a hidden piece of rebar on an (on purpose) off-field landing that put a significant dent in the tip of the prop. When we saw the airplane in the shop, the (backwoods-familiar) pilot had to saw off about 1 1/2 inches off the damaged tip, then saw off an equal amount of the other blade! He gave me the sawed-off piece; it is still sitting on a shelf! That prop was removed and sent to the prop shop to make sure it was properly balanced. The prop shop complemented him on his good work! They had little to do except to repitch the now shorter prop! Am I recommending this? NO! But illustrates what sometimes needs to be done to keep things in balance when you are somewhere in backwoods Montana.

 

[Cumulo]

Hello all, during today's pre-flight, I noticed a small nick on the tip of the prop (see attached picture). I have a HC-C2YK-1BF prop, searching through the Hartzell owner manual, it did provide guidelines about nicks on the leading edge as well as front and back, but didn't say anything about the tip. So, what would you do with this kind of nick? If you are to file it, do you have any suggestions about how to do it? Thanks a lot.

Thoughts:
Tiny nick, more on the tip than the LE. Little or no stress there. So its effect of is mainly aesthetic and aerodynamic if at all. I would not classify it as LE damage due to the tip edge location. Maybe consider fairing with a speck of JB Weld for the aero and looks. That nick is not the typical LE damage that could possibly cause the propagation of a crack.

The other approach due to the corner location is to radius the LE of the tip to remove the dent - do the other side as well to match. Did a few prop LE dents and nicks over the decades per Manual 18 - AC43-13.

BTW, I can tell first hand prop failure stories. Serious business, propellers. But from the picture, your nick is where there would be little structural effect. So I think you have choices.

ron

 

[Freemasm]

FWIW.

I know that high resolution pix can be misleading but it appears the prop is due for some LE dressing. I'd get that and subsequent painting done soon. Right now, you have a very good recipe for some pitting corrosion.

 

[Jpm757]

Dress it with a r

 

[Jpm757]

A riffle file works well especially on leading edge dings.