{"id":19897,"date":"2019-11-13T15:10:08","date_gmt":"2019-11-13T19:10:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/?p=19897"},"modified":"2019-11-13T15:10:11","modified_gmt":"2019-11-13T19:10:11","slug":"extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways to Extend the Life of Your Aircraft Propeller"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At Hartzell Propeller, one question we often hear from aircraft owners and operators is, \u201cHow can I extend my propeller\u2019s service life?\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n

While aircraft ownership will never be an inexpensive endeavor, there are some proactive steps you can take to avoid pricey repairs, especially when it comes to your propeller. Regular inspections and preventative maintenance tasks can go a long way in increasing your propeller\u2019s operational life, helping you save time and money down the road.<\/p>\n

Take a look at these five ways to protect your prop and help extend its operational life:<\/p>\n

Perform regular inspections<\/strong><\/p>\n

Regular pre-flight inspections of your propeller will allow you to catch emerging issues before they turn into more significant problems. Before each flight, give your propeller a thorough inspection for physical damage that\u2019s visible to the naked eye, including paint damage, nicks, and gouges. Look for any signs of external corrosion visible on the blades. Then, check the spinner and spinner assembly for cracks and loose or missing hardware. Finally, look for grease or oil leakage in the interior of the spinner. While some oil or grease is normal, it shouldn\u2019t be trailing down the blades. Watch this video<\/a> for a more in-depth explanation of how to perform a visual inspection of a composite Hartzell propeller.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Keep it clean<\/strong><\/p>\n

The propeller is one of the most highly stressed components on an aircraft, so give it some well-deserved TLC after every flight. When cleaning your propeller, you should never use a pressure washer as it can remove paint and damage internal components. Instead, wash the propeller blades with a soft cloth and a simple solution of dish soap and water after every flight to remove dirt and bugs. Point the blades in the \u201cdown\u201d position and wipe toward the ground to prevent water from entering the hub.<\/p>\n

Care for the paint<\/strong><\/p>\n

Paint is about more than ramp appeal\u2014it\u2019s a protective layer that can add significant life to your propeller. Be sure to check for chipping or flaking in your paint during pre-flight inspections. While you can do minor paint touch-ups on your own, having a full dress and paint done by a professional is best for major paint damage.<\/p>\n

For more substantial paint problems, such as surface corrosion, repainting the propeller blades is necessary. If you have a Hartzell propeller, you can send it to the Hartzell Service Center or one of our Recommended Service Facilities<\/a> around the world to have it repainted in its original paint scheme.<\/p>\n

Keep your propeller balanced<\/strong><\/p>\n

A static balance should be performed any time the propeller is removed from the airplane and is routinely performed during overhaul services. Dynamic balancing<\/a>, on the other hand, is a specialized service that\u2019s performed when the entire propeller and engine assembly is running. A dynamic balance measures the vibration magnitude of the propeller and engine, allowing propeller technicians to identify where to correct imbalances. The process helps to reduce cabin vibration and usually results in a smoother, more comfortable flight. Although dynamic balancing typically involves an additional service charge, it\u2019s a smart move to protect the health and longevity of the propeller as well as the engine, airframe, and avionics.<\/p>\n

Follow the manufacturer\u2019s published TBO limits<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are several steps you can take to help extend the life of your propeller, but there inevitably comes a time when your prop will need to be overhauled or potentially replaced. Flying an aircraft with a propeller that\u2019s beyond its intended service life is inadvisable and may result in unsafe operating conditions.<\/p>\n

Pay close attention to the propeller manufacturer\u2019s published TBO limits<\/a> and send your propeller to a certified prop shop when it\u2019s time for an overhaul. These limits are intended to protect your safety, because like any other mechanical device on your aircraft, propellers require periodic maintenance and inspection. Complying with the manufacturer\u2019s published overhaul limits will ensure that any issues developing within your propeller are identified early, ideally while they are still repairable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At Hartzell Propeller, one question we often hear from aircraft owners and operators is, \u201cHow can I extend my propeller\u2019s service life?\u201d While aircraft ownership will never be an inexpensive endeavor, there are some proactive steps you can take to avoid pricey repairs, especially when it comes to your propeller. Regular inspections and preventative maintenance […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":726,"featured_media":18833,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[240,136,261,345,220,61,87,53,62],"class_list":["post-19897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-prop","tag-propeller","tag-propeller-aircraft","tag-propeller-blades","tag-propeller-care","tag-propeller-design","tag-propeller-maintenance","tag-propeller-manufacturing","tag-propeller-overhaul"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n5 Ways to Extend the Life of Your Aircraft Propeller - Hartzell Propeller<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Hartzell Propeller has assembled helpful tips for pilots wondering how to extend the service life of their aircraft propeller.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 Ways to Extend the Life of Your Aircraft Propeller - Hartzell Propeller\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Hartzell Propeller has assembled helpful tips for pilots wondering how to extend the service life of their aircraft propeller.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Hartzell Propeller\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/HartzellProp\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-11-13T19:10:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-11-13T19:10:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/SA04274CH-PA32-RT-300T.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"320\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"213\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kern Patton\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@HartzellProp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@HartzellProp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kern Patton\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kern Patton\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/deef57ef7cfc97dda2ae76f3caa1cd05\"},\"headline\":\"5 Ways to Extend the Life of Your Aircraft Propeller\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-11-13T19:10:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-11-13T19:10:11+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":681,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/SA04274CH-PA32-RT-300T.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"prop\",\"propeller\",\"propeller aircraft\",\"propeller blades\",\"propeller care\",\"propeller design\",\"propeller maintenance\",\"propeller manufacturing\",\"propeller overhaul\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Blog\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\\\/\",\"name\":\"5 Ways to Extend the Life of Your Aircraft Propeller - Hartzell Propeller\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/SA04274CH-PA32-RT-300T.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-11-13T19:10:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-11-13T19:10:11+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/deef57ef7cfc97dda2ae76f3caa1cd05\"},\"description\":\"Hartzell Propeller has assembled helpful tips for pilots wondering how to extend the service life of their aircraft propeller.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/SA04274CH-PA32-RT-300T.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/SA04274CH-PA32-RT-300T.jpg\",\"width\":320,\"height\":213,\"caption\":\"Piper aircraft with Hartzell Propeller\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"5 Ways to Extend the Life of Your Aircraft Propeller\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Hartzell Propeller\",\"description\":\"Airplane Propeller and Aircraft Propeller Systems\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/deef57ef7cfc97dda2ae76f3caa1cd05\",\"name\":\"Kern Patton\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/61af25dd033e5c3251ab748687d5ea00077b453746a4ca59f60711b9b3b85746?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/61af25dd033e5c3251ab748687d5ea00077b453746a4ca59f60711b9b3b85746?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/61af25dd033e5c3251ab748687d5ea00077b453746a4ca59f60711b9b3b85746?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kern Patton\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hartzellprop.com\\\/author\\\/kern-patton\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"5 Ways to Extend the Life of Your Aircraft Propeller - Hartzell Propeller","description":"Hartzell Propeller has assembled helpful tips for pilots wondering how to extend the service life of their aircraft propeller.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"5 Ways to Extend the Life of Your Aircraft Propeller - Hartzell Propeller","og_description":"Hartzell Propeller has assembled helpful tips for pilots wondering how to extend the service life of their aircraft propeller.","og_url":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\/","og_site_name":"Hartzell Propeller","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/HartzellProp","article_published_time":"2019-11-13T19:10:08+00:00","article_modified_time":"2019-11-13T19:10:11+00:00","og_image":[{"width":320,"height":213,"url":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/SA04274CH-PA32-RT-300T.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Kern Patton","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@HartzellProp","twitter_site":"@HartzellProp","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kern Patton","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\/"},"author":{"name":"Kern Patton","@id":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/#\/schema\/person\/deef57ef7cfc97dda2ae76f3caa1cd05"},"headline":"5 Ways to Extend the Life of Your Aircraft Propeller","datePublished":"2019-11-13T19:10:08+00:00","dateModified":"2019-11-13T19:10:11+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\/"},"wordCount":681,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/SA04274CH-PA32-RT-300T.jpg","keywords":["prop","propeller","propeller aircraft","propeller blades","propeller care","propeller design","propeller maintenance","propeller manufacturing","propeller overhaul"],"articleSection":["Blog"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\/","url":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\/","name":"5 Ways to Extend the Life of Your Aircraft Propeller - Hartzell Propeller","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/SA04274CH-PA32-RT-300T.jpg","datePublished":"2019-11-13T19:10:08+00:00","dateModified":"2019-11-13T19:10:11+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/#\/schema\/person\/deef57ef7cfc97dda2ae76f3caa1cd05"},"description":"Hartzell Propeller has assembled helpful tips for pilots wondering how to extend the service life of their aircraft propeller.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/SA04274CH-PA32-RT-300T.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/SA04274CH-PA32-RT-300T.jpg","width":320,"height":213,"caption":"Piper aircraft with Hartzell Propeller"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/extend-the-life-of-your-aircraft-propeller\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"5 Ways to Extend the Life of Your Aircraft Propeller"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/","name":"Hartzell Propeller","description":"Airplane Propeller and Aircraft Propeller Systems","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/#\/schema\/person\/deef57ef7cfc97dda2ae76f3caa1cd05","name":"Kern Patton","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/61af25dd033e5c3251ab748687d5ea00077b453746a4ca59f60711b9b3b85746?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/61af25dd033e5c3251ab748687d5ea00077b453746a4ca59f60711b9b3b85746?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/61af25dd033e5c3251ab748687d5ea00077b453746a4ca59f60711b9b3b85746?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Kern Patton"},"url":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/author\/kern-patton\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/726"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19897"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19897\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19898,"href":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19897\/revisions\/19898"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18833"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hartzellprop.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}