How To Prop A Stearman

[Jack Cook]

And dummy question: What's the use of hand propping an engine?

If the a/c has no electrical system you're short on options
Hand prop or crak up the inertia starter if it has one.

[wacoykc]

"How do you hand prop without putting you fingers over the prop? How do you do it?"

Lay your hands flat on the blade. Wood prop closer to the hub...metal prop closer to the tip......reason is weight of the prop. I've propped alot of interesting antiques over the years....nothing bigger than a 350 Wright though. Any of the small stuff....150hp and below is easy. Above that it gets a little more difficult. They ALL have that "sweet spot" where they will start nearly every time that first swing. Just gotta know where its at.

[Fouga23]

" They ALL have that "sweet spot" where they will start nearly every time that first swing. Just gotta know where its at.

What's that about aircraft being like women?

[Fouga23]

And dummy question: What's the use of hand propping an engine?

If the a/c has no electrical system you're short on options
Hand prop or crak up the inertia starter if it has one.

Ah. Thanks Didn't think about that

[J. Armstrong]

Masterful demonstration of the operation of a "Hemingway Starter*."

I think the airplane I most hated propping was a STA Special. That C-4S was a pain in the rear: it kicked back hard and a lot. Being the "bottom feeder" at the time at the airport where it was based, I seemed to draw that duty every time the owner wanted to fly.....

I don't care for "backwards engines" on the European stuff either. I can do it safely, but get no points for style....

Steve

* As in "A Farewell to Arms"

Many moons ago ( mid 60s ) I was lineboy at a local airport. A gentleman by the name of Lou Russo had an all polished STA Special, and you are right, that sucker would wear you down and then strip the skin off the inside of your fingers with the metal leading edge of the blades. The critter scared me but didn't want anyone to know it so I used to volunteer to prop her. Found out later almost no one else liked propping her either !!Lovely airplane, though. The only worse plane to prop for a 120 lb, 5'9" pup was N315Y, the old Tex Rankin Great Lakes with the 240 ( I think ! ) flat Continental in it. Owned by Paul Maguire who later perished in it.

Wonder if it's the same Ryan - it went out west ( Cali ? ) years ago.

[bdk]

The two most awkward airplanes I've hand propped are the T-6 and an Extra 300L.

Gary

Never done a T-6 but I did do a Christen Eagle once. It is so low that the prop is always in your face. Must've flipped it for about a 1/2 hour before we got it going!

[retroaviation]

The two most awkward airplanes I've hand propped are the T-6 and an Extra 300L.

Gary

Easiest for me was the Mooney Mite, learned to hand prop when I was 11 or 12 years old.

Most awkward was the Miller Special "Pushy Cat". On your knees behind the airplane.....get prop set, and swing the prop through (short prop didn't help any) and ZIIINNG there you are, your face inches from a prop at 2K rpm.

Wow. Interesting. For some reason, I always thought Jim had put a starter on Pushy Cat, but knowing what an "ol' timer" racer he was, that makes sense that he never did in order to save weight. I bet propping that thing was tricky indeed.

Gary

[Obergrafeter]

I have proped many an airplane and even had one bite the back of my hand (nice trip to the hospital), but every time I prop one I remember what one old timer told me about doing it. (quote) "I would sooner kiss a pissed off rattlesnake on the forehead than prop one of those things". Approach one with that attitude and maybe you will get by with all your body parts unhurt.

[Airplanejunkie]

. A gentleman by the name of Lou Russo had an all polished STA Special,....

Wonder if it's the same Ryan - it went out west ( Cali ? ) years ago.

That's the pilot and airplane! Was based at Van Sant when I started there in '78

Never was sure where it wound up.....

[mustanglover]

The two most awkward airplanes I've hand propped are the T-6 and an Extra 300L.

Gary

Easiest for me was the Mooney Mite, learned to hand prop when I was 11 or 12 years old.

Most awkward was the Miller Special "Pushy Cat". On your knees behind the airplane.....get prop set, and swing the prop through (short prop didn't help any) and ZIIINNG there you are, your face inches from a prop at 2K rpm.

Wow. Interesting. For some reason, I always thought Jim had put a starter on Pushy Cat, but knowing what an "ol' timer" racer he was, that makes sense that he never did in order to save weight. I bet propping that thing was tricky indeed.

Gary

You think Jim would put a starter on his baby?

Propping "Pushy Cat" was scary to say the least. Ask me sometime about the race in Stockton, CA sometime. Never will I party with the Blue Angles crew again...........

[warbirdcrew]

I've seen it done on a Citabria, 0-2, Navion, Ercoupe, Cessna 182, T-6, B-25, Cj-6, and both engines on a Beech 18 (Three blade Hartzells). I consider myself lucky that I've never had to do it myself.

[Fleet16b]

You swing your leg mostly to put your momentum to work pulling you away from the prop arc, not because you need any extra strength to turn the prop.

I have been propping aircraft for over 40 yrs ( at leats 10 timesa week).
Many many times I have seen guys on the ramp propping the a/c and swinging their leg high and then back.
Well let me tell you, that is a sure fire method of getting hurt. Just watch next time a guy does that. The leg swings back and this makes your body move forward , specifically your head !.
NOT A GOOD IDEA !!
This leg swinging method is pure Hollywood, first done on the silver screen as to make the scene look better.
I learned from my Dad , who started propping in the early thirties and he learned from WW1 mechanic. He is now 90 yrs old and still has all his fingers after 70 years of propping
Over the years the art has been lost , diluted etc and this Hollywood method has been accepted by many as the correct method.
It is most definitely not the correct method.
Again , save yourself a lot of grief , DO NOT SWING YOUR LEG BACK WHILE HAND PROPPING !

Let the opinions come forth

[ZRX61]

About 20 years ago I watched Stephen Grey prop his Jungmeister. It was a tad reluctant to start....The redder his face got, the bluer the air turned..

[J. Armstrong]

. A gentleman by the name of Lou Russo had an all polished STA Special,....

Wonder if it's the same Ryan - it went out west ( Cali ? ) years ago.

That's the pilot and airplane! Was based at Van Sant when I started there in '78

Never was sure where it wound up.....

At Montgomeryville ( ex HiLine ) in the 60s. Don't recall the N number, but I'm pretty sure she ended up an California at one point.

My hands still hurt thinking about it !!!!

Wasn't '78 about the time the F2G basketcase was at Van Sant ??? I still try to ride the mo'sickle over there every couple of weekends.

[Airplanejunkie]

At Montgomeryville ( ex HiLine ) in the 60s. Don't recall the N number, but I'm pretty sure she ended up an California at one point.

My hands still hurt thinking about it !!!!

Wasn't '78 about the time the F2G basketcase was at Van Sant ??? I still try to ride the mo'sickle over there every couple of weekends.

I think the STA came up to Van Sant a couple of years before Montgomeryville closed

The F2G was gone by '77, left shortly before (contrary to what I've seen on the internet.) I remember seeing it in the spring of '73, though. It was my first time up there and I was wandering around and found it. Nobody told me it was there, and I sure was surprised to see it. It looks a darn sight better now!

I still try to fly into Van Sant every couple of weeks or so. It's one my favorite places.