Propeller overhaul shop recomendations

Can’t say anything about Aerohelice except that I talked to them at Friedrichshafen a few years ago and they seemed professional, but I’d say MT-Propeller has one important advantage: instead of getting the prop overhauled as it is, you may be able to get an upgrade to the latest incarnation of their technology, maybe even at no extra cost.

Hi,
I am looking for someone in EASA land to overhaul a Sensenich 76EM8-0-60 fixed pitch propeller. The prop was overhauled in 1996 by H&S in the UK and has a semi-legible tag on it. We just can’t fit it, with the lack of proof on its hours.

The UK shops now are largely CAA/FAA approval only, and there is a VAT issue shipping parts in and out to consider. Someone in Germany/France/Poland would be better for this job. Any recommendations.

MT Propellers. They are great.

MT propellers are great indeed, but certainly not the cheapest. Do you really need an overhaul, or will IRAN (inspect and repair as needed) do?

I’ve always thought of MT props as the inexpensive (if low tech) solution. Certainly that’s why my plane has one.

Why do you need to overhaul a fixed pitch prop? If it’s the prop in the photo it appears from a distance to be in fine condition. Are the blades eroded enough that they aren’t performing and need to be reshaped on that basis?

There is a theory, maybe a myth, that material needs to be removed from the blades periodically to prevent fatigue crack growth. But when was the last time you heard of a fixed pitch propeller losing a blade? Essentially nobody in the US follows that protocol, nobody overhauls FP props on the basis of hours in service and most FP props don’t have logbooks. I’d never heard of it until being exposed to European maintenance practice on some props by some people, although clearly it’s not universal.

Can you not get the prop inspected/documented to satisfy whatever local legal requirement applies, as opposed to removing life and making it into a ‘toothpick’ via unnecessary overhaul?

The prop is fine, it’s clearly never been used since 1996. I guess it ultimately needs to be overhauled, so the next guy who plans to fit it to a D-Reg Rallye 180 can say it’s 0hrs SPOH.

I had a price from a shop in the UK of £645 plus vat, just if anyone is wondering how much it should cost for a fixed pitch prop.

I’ll ask MT propeller for a price.

You can ask Technic Aviation in Manosque (south of France). They work internationally.
You can send an email to Sylvie Bonnet ([email protected]), eventually on my behalf.
They do propeller and governor for me.

AIUI, a formal “overhaul” of a propeller involves removing enough metal to remove any damage, and obviously it has to be removed from all blades even if just one is damaged.

And after a few of these, the prop is scrap, or at least not capable of having another “overhaul” and thus useless for an aircraft whose certification agency mandates an “overhaul” periodically.

This is why aircraft owners tend to be wary of airfields where the surfaces are covered in rocks

Biggest piece of distructive maintaince ever.

How many hours has you cessna 172 done in the last 72 months.