Aluminum T-6 Spinner

[bdk]

I have in my possession an aluminum T-6 spinner. Unlike the Montgomery spinner, which this mimics from the outside, it is mounted in a more or less conventional general aviation style. There are no horseshoes and the backing plate mounts to the back of the prop hub.

I was told that this spinner was made by Les Crowder, who unfortunately died some years ago.

Does anyone have any information on this spinner? Anyone ever seen another? Anyone actually seen one on a flying T-6?

It is pretty much relegated to static display unless I can find out more info. That would really be a shame since it is so nicely made.

Thanks!

bdk

[T-28mike]

Brandon,
They was made by Les. I had one on a Customers SNJ that I had to remove as it was installed and flying with no paperwork of any kind. Oh yea, it was cracked also.... If you are putting your -6 in experimental, you could get away with it, but good luck getting anyone to stick their neck out for approval on standard category nowadays.

" The Government uses direct deposit because the FAA is afraid to sign their own paychecks"

- Frank Strickler

" The FAA is the single highest unlit obstruction to general aviation"

- also Frank Strickler

[bdk]

Thanks Mike! Looks like a wall-hanger it is...

[Enemy Ace]

Are those the same spinners that can go on the CJ-6 and Yak-52's? I know Crowder made spinners for those airplanes. I know those guys are always looking for spinners... and they are Experimental.

[Trey Carroll]

The Strickler comments make this thread much more interesting than any other topic.

Any pics of the spinner and the inside?
T

[bdk]

I'll take some the next time I'm at the airport and post them.

[RobC]

Brandon, Les Crowder was a Dave Zeuschel protege back when I was a kid in the valley. He later moved to Texas and had a shop called Skylanes. He and I bought Frank Taylor's Harvard 4 projects back when Frank had the big hangar at Chino, which is how I met him. He did in fact make some T-6 spinners. He was quite a good metal man. His Harvard became an NA-50 replica. Did not know he had passed on - sorry to hear that.

[Stoney]

I wanted him to make more T-6 spinners about 20 years ago, but he said he made more money making them for P-51s. Didn't know he had passed, but had not heard of him for a long time till this subject came up.

[bdk]

Rob, I knew Les and Rick quite well back in the day when they frequented Chino. I remember their yellow T-28 too.

I was hoping someone here might have a copy of a field approval for one. The backing plate obviously doesn't mount to the prop hub directly because not only wouldn't it fit, but then the spinner would be too far forward. The bolts that clamp the forward and aft barrel sections on the hub are special bolts, so to space the spinner aft all I could think was that there was a special nut Les made up to mount the backing plate. Either that or there was another Hamilton Standard bolt from another hub style that was longer that could be used with spacers. The bolt spacing was spot on for a 12D40 hub.