Page 16 - July 2023

ASK THE EXPERT
Propeller Erosion ... and How to Avoid It
by Tom Clements
Walk down a ramp where numerous King Airs are parked and look closely at their propeller blades. I wager that you will see quite a variety of conditions. Some will look almost new, whereas others will be badly sandblasted. It may be that the reason for the difference is reasonable and unavoidable. Namely, one airplane operates only on long, paved, well-maintained runways, and the other aircraft spends much of its life operating from a short, dirt strip on the owner’s ranch. But it also may be that the one with the sad-looking props, even though it spends much of its time on good runways, is also suffering from one of two things or a combination of both: Poor pilot technique and/or power levers that are poorly adjusted in the Beta and Reverse ranges. The goal of this article is to review proper operating techniques with you, as well as, providing a procedure for knowing if your Beta/Reverse rigging is as it should be.
PHOTO CREDIT DAN MOORE VMG LLC
14 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
JULY 2023