Prop went through the roof

5 posts in this topic

Posted

I have an enclosed trailer for my Avid Flyer Mark IV.  A neighbor, who has too many airplanes to have another one, bought a Kitfox Mark IV 1200 and ask me about trailering it back to his hanger.  "No Problem". 

 

We drove to Vacaville where it was hangered and put it in the trailer.  It had a 3 bladed carbon fiber prop which cleared the trailer just fine.  Towed it to Potter Valley, over 100 miles, and upon opening the rear door found the propeller sticking up through the roof of the trailer.

 

Seems the Subaru engine runs through a gear box which free wheels in one direction while ratcheting against compression in the other direction.  There must have been enough up and down on the road for it to rotate and drive it's way through the roof of the trailer.

 

Who would have thought to tie the propeller down?

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Posted (edited)

Sounds like the NSI sprag clutch?

I guess the trailer can be repaired, but how much damage was done to the blade?

How did you get the plane out of the trailer?

EDMO

Edited by Ed In Missouri

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Posted

I am hangared at Nut Tree in Vacaville. Shoot me a message if you are down this away again. I always tie my prop down when I trailer. On an open trailer the wind at highway speed is enough to turn the motor over. If it's the plane I am thinking of Ed it does have an NSI on it. Poor thing has been sitting for a long long time and was barely flown when it was new. 6 yrs ago they wanted an outrageous price for it.

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Posted (edited)

Joey,

I know you have one - After all these (25?) years, I still do not know what NSI stands for, but I have known a lot about their engines - My Kitfox 1 had one when it landed in a tree. But that was not the engines fault - just a wire to the fuel pump that burned because it was too small.

That engine gets some funny looks from people when you shut down and the prop keeps spinning, like a turbine engine.

EDMO

Edited by Ed In Missouri

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Posted

Boat,

You got any photos of the plane / plane & trailer to post?

EDMO

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