Prop damage - help please

[Low Level]

This morning I discovered the following damage on my prop. The prerotator tensioner went skew, resulting in the bolt attaching it to the prerotator touching the prop. The damage is only in the carbon fibre, approx 1.5 mm deep. Because it is very close to the hub there is no vibration to be felt, due to imbalance - if any.

My questions now:
How critical is this to structural strenght ?
Where can I take it to for professional advice - preferably somewhere in GP ?
Can this be repaired, and by whom ?

[DarkHelmet]

Pieter de Necker is your best bet. He just overhauled my Warp Drive and it looks better than new!

Pieter will quickly tell you if it is fixable or a lost cause.

oh won won 79 tree 52 tree 5

[Low Level]

Thanx DH - will contact him first thing in the morning - while holding thumbs.

[DarkHelmet]

What did Pieter say?

[Low Level]

Gave Piet a visit yesterday



Not worth it.

I thought the metal part of the blade - clamped in the hub - extended in the blade, but no.

The normal thickness of the carbon fibre where the damage occured is approx 5 mm, filled with foam, therefore the damage is almost 20 or 25 % of the load bearing carbon fibre.

The problem with carbon fibre is, it is like a cable. If the outside strands are damaged, it can be fixed with epoxy or whatever. The problem is, the fixing is only aestethic. Nothing is being done to the strenght.

Piet showed me blades that broke in flight. Not a pretty sight. Apparantly the resultant vibration broke three of the engine mountings etc. Fortunately at approx 3 m height.

The end of the story: I have a R 11000 bar decoration.
Anybody interested

Wonder if I can get it signed by Roland Schoeman and put it up for auction on e-bay.