prop material
 

wood vs nylon vs glass-filled composite ?

For beginner, which is best choice?

(This is for a Tower Trainer 40 with Tower .46 engine. Was told to get a 11x5 or 11x6 for it)

RE: prop material
 

Hmm, as a begginer meself I am not sure. I just use the cheap Master airscrew (APC??) plastic ones.

That said, your plastic and composites are far more durable than wood, however wood will likely break before removing fingers if you get your hand in the prop [X(]

I use the plastic because A) its cheap, and B) i still tend to get prop strikes on landing now and then, and cant afford stock in the wood prop makers companies..

RE: prop material
 

For learning I would suggest a composite nylon/glass type of prop like Master Airscrew or APC. I find that the APCs are a bit more high performance than the MAS ones, but the MAS ones are tougher, and can usually stand a couple of minor prop strikes and still be ok. (good for a beginner) Wood props are ok, but if you strike it on the ground, even on dirt or grass, the whole prop will explode and its toast. On a high-wing tricycle gear plane, there is a tendancy for the plane to tip in a turn when taxiing, especially in wind. I lost a few wood props like that when I was learning without even getting 1 flight out of them :p

RE: prop material
 

Use 10x6, it'll give you more ground clearence. I also think 10x6 are your recommended breaking prop.
Buy a pack of them.lol

You'll notice the wire gears will sag after a after a while and the nose gear will have a funkie bend to it too.[&:]

RE: prop material
 

It came with a 10x8. After a break-in, instructor suggested going with 11x5 or 11x6 and I wanted to know what to order.

I was a little concerned with the ground clearance aspects....

RE: prop material
 

My opinion is get the Master Airscrew props to begin with. They are very cheap and very tough, but flex a lot (not good for performance). A large diameter low pitch prop should keep things slower with lots of pulling power. I'd say an 11x4 is a good match, but you'll have to be careful not to overrev the engine. A 11x5 is slightly faster but will load that .46 a little better and keep your revs down.

Once you get some flight time and stop breaking props, move to APC. Once you start getting confident and doing fun stuff, use a 12.25x3.75 APC. It'll really show you what that .46 is made of!

Wood props are really nice, but extremely unforgiving. Save them till later.

RE: prop material
 

Amen brother on the APC 12.25x3.75. Pending the plane it's on. Slow prop but tons of pull. MAS is the best choice for starting out-flexible and cheap. APC's are very breakable but perform better. It really all boils down to the plane and what you and it are capable of. Starter planes-MAS, more advanced planes-apc, expensive advanced planes-APC,Wood, Carbon fiber.

RE: prop material
 

Yeah,its not going to matter which you use,but the plastic ones are alot better because the withstand alot more then wood. I started with wood because thats what the manual told me to get,but the second the hit the ground they "wood" fly into a million pieces. Once the guys at the field told me to get some master airscrew (black plastic) props....I broke alot less. But any prop of the right size will work just fine for you. Performance is the least of your concerns,not to mention you wouldnt notice any difference anyway. I'd also recommend a you buy a 10x6 and an 11x6 prop for that engine. Doubt you'll notice any difference between the two,but I run 10x6's on my .42 engine and your engine is a tad bigger so you might get away with an 11x6,but either will fly your plane great! Just keep an extra prop or two on hand for spares. Keep in mind if you try different size props,they "might" tend to change the tuning of your engine ever so slightly. And also keep in mind for later down the road that larger props make it harder to slow down for landing. I only put bigger props on if I always have to fly my plane at full throttle alot while swinging high rpms just for level flying. Larger props will tend to pull your plane through the air faster at lower rpms. You just dont want to put on a prop so large that it will not let you engine reach its rpm power curve.

RE: prop material
 

I like APC's and ProZingers (composite and wood, respectively). It's not a bad idea to stick with the cheaper and more forgiving plastic or Master Airscrew initially, but once you get so they're lasting the season you will appreciate that they don't deform at speed and are generally quieter (a consideration if the field safety officer pulls out the dB meter on you).

Wood is still the lightest in sensible prices and just looks right on certain models.

RE: prop material
 

All I know is the TH .46, MAS , 15% nitro pulls my SE straight UP:)
Darn 12 x 4 are hard to find...they're almost like collectors items.lol
I need a prop like that for my cap232 becuase of the bulky cowling and fuselage.
I stayed with 11x5 even after I use a higher landing gear on the SE.

RE: prop material
 

flyX,

Use an APC 12.25 x 3.75. Easy to get a hold of as they were used by the 40 control line guys and now used by the 46 3D guys. Way better than a 12 x 4 as they are a wide blade.

Cheers