ORIGINAL: trpastor
Ok, so I've heard a LOT about balancing a prop and using different methods or fixing imbalances.
BUT, there was a guy at the field the other day that upon me chipping my prop, he said to trim it equally on the other side and then sand it down. Now some of what I read on balancing says NOT to touch the tip of the prop.
I'm only using a trainer, so maybe that's why the guy at the field was so leinient on his advice. But anyway, I went ahead and did it and it flew fine.
So how much does it really matter?
ALSO, having it shorter now, it is easier to land without nicking the prop. I was using a 10x6, which is now about a 9x6
Can I just swtich to a 9x6 on my .40 Hobbico Superstar?
OR, should I maybe increase the height of the wheels/landing gear? I was thinking about putting on 3.5" wheels instead of 2.5, but I was afraid of the increased drag it would cause. Should I be?
Thanks
Tim
if your loosing a 1/2" on the tip of your prop, then you should replace it, just sanding the tip to match the length is no garentee that the prop will be even close to balanced,and can mess with the berings or bushings whichever your engine has in it.
that being said I am with carrellh most of the engines I have are 46 2strokes and 91 4strokes and I hardly ever bother with balancing them out of the bag larger props its a good idea.
somthing to think about if your prop has hit the ground hard enough to loose that much tip then there is a possability there might be more dammage than you thought,or that is visable this can really turn ugly for you or any club members nearby,when that thing is spinning at 10,000 rpm.
trying to save 2$ for a prop,that can have any problems, its really not worth it .