Aircraft Question Answer What type of aircraft are Airmaster propellers designed for?     The Airmaster AP332 propeller is designed to work on a variety of light aircraft, including ultralights, experimental class, and homebuilt aircraft. The AP332 and its predecessor the AP308 has so far been sold for use on Titan Tornado, Ultravia Pelican, Skystar Kitfox, 3I Sky Arrow, Supermarine Spitfire, Jabiru ST-P 3000 and Europa aircraft. Check the Applications section

Engines Question Answer What engines is the Airmaster propeller currently approved for use on? Engines currently approved for use with the Airmaster AP332 propeller are the Rotax 912, 912S, 914 and the Jabiru 2200 and 3300. What if I have an engine that is not on your list? The Airmaster AP332 propeller is not necessarily restricted to use on the one of the presently approved engines. If you have an engine that falls within the power specifications, please contact us and discuss your engine and application. For each new engine type that a propeller is fitted to we have to consider a few extra things before giving unrestricted approval to the new type. These include items such as what propeller size should be recommended, what mounting brackets are required for the sensor, what speeds the propeller should be set-up to operate at and what propeller flange it is to be fitted to. We also have to consider the strength of the propeller and its capacity to absorb the characteristic power of your engine. Usually we would ask the first customer with a new engine type to rigorously apply our inspection and maintenance requirements for the first period of operation, and to provide feedback on the results of the inspections to us at Airmaster. For an unusual type we may want to perform some tests such as a vibration survey on the engine and propeller combination. What propeller flanges will the Airmaster propeller fit directly on? What propeller flanges will the Airmaster propeller fit directly on? The Airmaster AP332 propeller is designed to fit on propeller flanges with a six bolt pattern at a Pitch Circle Diameter (PCD) of 4 inches (101.6mm) and an outside diameter of less than 5 inches (127mm). These include: • ARP502 style. • 101.6mm PCD Rotax flanges (PNs 837 280, 837 282, 837 285 and 837 287). • 125mm outside diameter Jabiru Flange (PN 4525064 (standard) or PN 4610074 (2-inch extension). Note: Jabiru flanges are also available in extensions longer that 2 inches. However it is not recommended to use this propeller with Jabiru extensions longer than 2 inches. Jabiru 3300 engines are sometimes delivered with a larger diameter flange, in which case the alternative flange as listed above should be sourced from Jabiru. An alternative flange for the Jabiru engine is available from Airmaster. Depending on which flange is used; different shear bushes are required. Shear bushes will be supplied to fit your propeller flange. Other flanges can be accommodated by manufacture of conversion plates, please enquire. Why the difference in horsepower ratings if the Airmaster propeller is mounted on engines of different number of cylinders, and on reduction geared engines? Obviously, the total power to be absorbed by the propeller is an important factor in determining the propelle’s size and other design details; but just as important is the nature of that power that the engine delivers to the propeller. Unlike a turbine engine, piston engines don’t deliver a truly constant torque. The torque varies, with peaks as each cylinder fires that are higher than the average torque. This varying torque impacts directly on the severity of loading experienced by the propeller and can cause fatigue damage in a propeller. We call the varying torque ’torsional excitation’. This difference between the average and peak torque is most noticeable on engines with fewer cylinders (eg four), less on engines with more cylinders (eg six) and is moderated somewhat when an engine delivers its power through a reduction drive. It is for this reason that the power rating of some propellers must be adjusted for use on different types of engines. Do you at Airmaster make propellers for larger engines with more power? Our current model, the AP332 is designed for use on engines up to 120hp, however larger propellers for larger engines are in development. Please contact us for further information. Do I need a Manifold Air Pressure (MAP) gauge with the Airmaster propeller? The answer to this depends on the engine, but with the AP332 model propeller generally you do not need a Manifold Air Pressure (MAP) gauge. However, it can provide valuable information to the pilot about the power setting that is being used. This is because of the nature of the engines usually used in modern sport aircraft. In traditional aircraft types with a variable pitch propeller a MAP gauge is used to set correct and desired engine power settings, and to monitor the engine operation and keep it within certain limits. With a modern small aircraft engine such as a Rotax four stroke engine, manifold air pressure limits do not exist to the same degree as with the larger engines. In fact as long as the engine speed limit is not exceeded some of these engines may be operated without limits on the throttle operation, negating the requirement for a MAP gauge. A MAP gauge however is useful for setting desired power settings with the throttle.

Blades Question Answer What type of blades do you supply with the Airmaster propeller? The present model of Airmaster AP332 propeller is supplied with carbon fibre blades manufactured by Warp Drive. As standard, we supply them with the standard width profile (sometimes called ’wide-chord’) and with nickel leading edge protection. We can also have Warp Drive supply us tapered blades to better fit your particular application. On the AP332 can you use my existing Warp Drive blades? Yes you can. If you have an existing set of Warp Drive blades, you can send them to us when you order and we will fit them to the Airmaster propeller. The blades are only modified in a very minor way, and remain fully able to be fitted to a Warp Drive ground adjustable hub in the future if required. Do you produce a two-bladed version of the Airmaster AP332 propeller? At the present time the Airmaster AP332 is a three-bladed propeller. Production of a two-bladed version is being considered. How do I know what diameter Airmaster propeller to order? Usually it is best to follow the recommendation of the manufacturer of your aircraft. If a range of diameters is allowed, the characteristics of a variable pitch propeller normally allow you to choose the maximum possible size. If you already have a Warp Drive ground adjustable propeller, the blades that have been chosen for this are usually the best choice to put in a variable pitch propeller. Consult the Airmaster and the manufacturer of your aircraft for more advice. How do composite blades compare with metal blades? Composites are superior. First, composites can be fabricated with a thinner blade that is advantageous for high tip speeds. Properly designed and fabricated composite blades are highly fatigue resistant whereas metal blades have a finite blade life. In general, composite blades can suffer considerable damage near the leading edge and still be repairable; whereas, metal blades cannot sustain much LE damage and still be safely operated. The leading edge protection on our blades is 7 times as hard as aluminium and LEP is replaceable in the case of damage. In general, composite blades are superior to metal with regard to damage tolerance and repairability.