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Prop clearance

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gtaylor35918(at)roadrunne
Guest

Posted: Sun May 09, 2010 7:29 pm Post subject: Prop clearance

All,

      I have recently purchased  a used kolb firestar single place and was wondering what the clearance should be  between the prop and the tail boom, it has a 377 with a 66" 32 prop. Any info  would be appreciated thanks

 Greg

   [quote][b]

williamtsullivan(at)att.n
Guest

Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 3:03 am Post subject: Prop clearance

Greg- I have an original Firestar with a 447 and a 66" warp Drive two blade prop.  The tip to boom clearance is just about one inch.  There is no prop extension.  

  

                                                Bill Sullivan

                                                Windsor Locks, Ct.

 [quote][b]

Ralph B

Joined: 14 Apr 2007
Posts: 367
Location: Mound Minnesota

Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 8:26 am Post subject: Re: Prop clearance

gtaylor35918(at)roadrunne 	  Quote: 	
		  All, I have recently purchased  a used kolb firestar single place and was wondering what the clearance should be  between the prop and the tail boom, it has a 377 with a 66" 32 prop. Any info  would be appreciated thanks

 Greg 	




Greg, the prop clearance is an inch with a 66" prop. The 32 pitch may be a little too much for a Rotax 377. I had a 28 pitch on mine when I had the wooden prop. I would suggest you tie the tail down with an auto tow rope and run it up to see if you can achieve full power over 6000 RPM. If you can't, then don't attempt to fly it until you get a lower pitch prop.



Ralph

_________________
Ralph B

Kolb Kolbra 912uls
N20386
550 hours

gtaylor35918(at)roadrunne
Guest

Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 1:40 pm Post subject: Prop clearance

Bill,

     Thanks for the info, thats about  what the clearance is on mine with a 66X32.

 Greg

 [quote]   ---

gtaylor35918(at)roadrunne
Guest

Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 1:53 pm Post subject: Prop clearance

Ralph,

   Thanks for the info, and I was planning on doing the engine run up that 

you referred to to verify that the engine is i good standing. I am a private 

pilot with about 250 hrs and an IFR rating but I can see that I will have a 

lot to learn with this Kolb, but it looks like it will be a blast. By the 

way can you tell me if there is a good place to get a good prop at a 

reaonable price?



Greg

---

Ralph B

Joined: 14 Apr 2007
Posts: 367
Location: Mound Minnesota

Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 5:37 pm Post subject: Re: Prop clearance

Greg, you can find used props within your local club and on the web. Just check around. The best prop for that 377 would be a 2-blade Ivo prop as it's ground adjustable. I gave one away that I had on my Firestar for about 20 years. It was still like new. I bought a new one with my new 447. If you have the 5-rib Original Firestar, you can use the prop without a spacer.



Ralph

_________________
Ralph B

Kolb Kolbra 912uls
N20386
550 hours

gtaylor35918(at)roadrunne
Guest

Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 7:42 pm Post subject: Prop clearance

Thanks Ralph,

       I will have to check around  for a ultralight club here in southern 

Ohio.

Greg

       by the way I have a five rib with a canister brs any ideas on stall 

speed, empty weight,etc. I know that all aircraft are different but like in 

type should be similar.



---

Jason Omelchuck

Joined: 07 May 2009
Posts: 120
Location: Portland Oregon

Posted: Tue May 11, 2010 6:28 am Post subject: Re: Prop clearance

Hello Greg,



I would recommend that you get some dual in a ultralight style aircraft before you fly the Kolb.  That 250 hours in a GA airplane will have trained your muscles in habits that will cause you problems landing a Kolb.  If you choose not to get training, I would suggest your first few landings you do with lots of power and then back off the power as you gain experience.  When I say lots of power, I mean 2/3 throttle all the way down approach until you touch down. It may lengthen your ground roll to 700' on pavement 



Be safe

Jason

Kolb MKIII Yamaha Powered

Portland, OR

 	  gtaylor35918(at)roadrunne wrote: 	
		  Ralph,

   Thanks for the info, and I was planning on doing the engine run up that 

you referred to to verify that the engine is i good standing. I am a private 

pilot with about 250 hrs and an IFR rating but I can see that I will have a 

lot to learn with this Kolb, but it looks like it will be a blast. By the 

way can you tell me if there is a good place to get a good prop at a 

reaonable price?



Greg

---

Ralph B

Joined: 14 Apr 2007
Posts: 367
Location: Mound Minnesota

Posted: Tue May 11, 2010 10:09 am Post subject: Re: Prop clearance

Greg, Jason's comments are right on. You should get some dual in a light aircraft before flying the Kolb. Your first landings should be with power on at about 4000 RPM with the 377. Most ultralight-like aircraft are so light, they tend to lose speed fast. The Firestar stall speed is about 25 mph and cruises at 60 mph, 5800 RPM with the 377. GA pilots that transition to a Kolb w/o any training usually tend to flare early on landing and bend the aluminum landing gear. This is very common and it doesn't need to happen. There isn't much of a flare with the lighter Kolbs. Heavier ones will have more of a flare such as my Kolbra.



Have fun and be safe ...



Ralph

_________________
Ralph B

Kolb Kolbra 912uls
N20386
550 hours

Mystic

Joined: 13 May 2010
Posts: 16

Posted: Fri May 14, 2010 10:14 am Post subject: Re: Prop clearance

Greg, I have a Firestar 1 powered by a 447. It came with a 66" Culver wood prop. My FS wouldn't achieve full power when I was climbing out. Only about 58-5900rpm. So when I sent it to Culver to have it balanced and refinished, I had them take 4 degrees of pitch out of it. It was 32, and they turned it down to 28 degrees. When I got it back I was really happy with the climb performance (6500rpm), but wasn't expecting to give up so much cruise speed. (about 8 - 10 mph)

I called Gene to whine about it, and he sold  me a used 30 degree prop that is just about right. I figured I'd keep my "climb" prop for days when I was just messing around the patch.

Thing is, now that I've got a couple hundred hours under my belt, most of my flying nowadays is cross country (not John H XC, but going somwhere). I just don't spend much time around the patch anymore, and I really miss that 32 degree prop. 

If you think it might suit you, I have a 28 degree 66" Culver prop with maybe 4 hrs on it since is was serviced by Valley Eng. that I'd like to swap out for your 32 degree prop. 



John Tempest

Firestar 1

447 Culver Woody

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