Hello,
I wonder if anyone can help me? I’m looking for a manual, diagram or information that will help with disassembling a DC3 prop and hub? Does anyone have any experience of this? The prop is already off the aircraft but I need to know how to get the blades off the hub? Can I do it without specialist tools (Its not an airworthy prop!)? Are there any diagrams or manuals that will help?
Help help would be greatfully received.
Many thanks
By: Arabella-Cox - 9th November 2013 at 18:42
When you try and visualise the force that must have been required to distort that hub assembly it makes me shudder – and split bearing rollers, blimey!
I’ve had that before with the prop nut being loose. In our case the brass rear cone had a visible waisting where it had been squeezed by the hub being slammed back. All the same, like VX927’s prop will hopefully be, the internals are a joy to behold once cleaned up.
Great fun.
Anon.
By: Creaking Door - 9th November 2013 at 00:24
No, I got some of the reduction-gearing too.
Yes, I think it must have gone straight-in; the steel outer-part halves of the hub are actually slightly bent as is the spider. One of the crescent half-bearings had every single roller split clean in-two and the bearing races themselves were cracked into several pieces.
I was wondering how I would slacken the hub-nut (still sitting on the spider in the photograph) as it is torqued-up to 900 foot-pounds, if I recall, (plus it is a big eight-sided nut)…
…but when I removed the retaining pin the nut was only finger-tight; the force of the crash-impact had pushed the whole hub back (crushing the brass spacer-cone)!
By: Arabella-Cox - 8th November 2013 at 22:20
Was the prop shaft snapped off as it looks like there’s no reduction gear on the back?
Looks like it went straight in judging by the way all three blades are equally shorn?
Anon.
By: Creaking Door - 8th November 2013 at 19:37
Short Stirling; I was told when I bought it. Definitely a Bristol Hercules engine anyway!
By: Arabella-Cox - 8th November 2013 at 19:22
Blimey, that’s definitely a crasher, Creaking Door, looking at them sheared off blades and seals hanging out. What is it from?
Anon.
By: Creaking Door - 8th November 2013 at 17:20
I think this is similar to a DC-3 propeller-hub; hope it helps!
By: VX927 - 8th November 2013 at 16:26
Superb. Thank you both very much for your help.
By: Arabella-Cox - 6th November 2013 at 18:40
Technical information is quite easy to come by for these props – it’s a Hamilton Standard 23-E-50
Be careful how you prise the halves apart as you can dig into the blade roots if you go too deep with a wedge. Just make sure you have got plenty of old cloths around it to catch all the black sticky oil – it’s ‘orrible stuff!, and the blade bearings.
Everything should be preserved nicely though and will look a treat when washed down. Give everything a coat of clean oil too, when finished, as the components start to rust pretty quickly.
Anon.
By: coldkiwi1 - 6th November 2013 at 09:36
If it is off the aircraft then I take it that the dome is already removed. All you need to do is split the hub halves by removing the nuts from all the hub half bolts and then knock the bolts through using a brass drift. With a bit of wriggling the hub halves will then separate and you will be left with the blades to just pull off the spider. No special tools needed.
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November 6, 2013 at 7:48 am