Help! lock the prop horizontal?

[Hai-Lee]

I have been searching for an appealing build of late and so I have been hitting the internet looking at the various plans and designs. During my search I came across an OLD SCHOOL solution to the prop breakage issue.

If you brake the ESC it is possible to have the prop stop pointing vertically and then of course you land on the tip of the prop first. This almost guarantees a broken prop. Whereas a free wheeling prop can also hit the ground in the vertical position and also break.

The old school method used on an early electric offering was to have a servo that put an obstacle into the propeller disc thereby causing the prop to stop rotating. The obstacle was positioned such that it stopped the prop horizontally every time. A windmilling prop would not only stop but be held against the stop by the aerodynamic forces acting on the prop itself.

This is something that intrigues me. Whilst I do use a lot of folding props on my glider designs they tend to be expensive and in the hands of a newbie they often break when the newbie opens the throttle too late for a go around. A cheap servo can cost far less than a good prop!

It could be something that I use on my motor glider designs as an option from now on!

Have fun!

 

[HilldaFlyer]

What programming card do you use? I have Flite Test 20A, and 35A brushless esc’s

I was using Turnigy Plush ESC, so I was using their control board.

 

[L Edge]

Hey all, I am getting tired of breaking props on perfectly good landings and someone suggested that there is a way to spoof the ESC into locking so it will be horizontal. Does anyone know how to do this?

thanx

Actually, it is the timing of your landing where you flair and when you cut the power. Since each pilot skill's and planes are all different, suggest that you video your landings to see the difference of how you land(broken prop vrs none).

Then run the video numerous times at 1/4 speed and analyze what is causing your problem. Plane might be too low, prop not shutting off fast enough or you need to change your flair approach, but it should help you get a handle on what you are doing wrong. Every pilot has gone thru that step when they were learning.

 

[Flitedesign 3d]

Way back I used to break propellers on every landing... these were the slowfly. Since then I've been using APC and rarely do I break a propeller. However, I have bent a few motor shafts. My advice... if you're doing slow fly, then a prop saver should help. Also, if you program your ESC to brake then there is a chance the propeller will stop horizontally, but without a brake, you will always have a propeller strike because it is still spinning. I've recently programmed all my ESCs to brake.

I mostly use apc propellers and have never broke one on landing, with my experience the motor shaft bends only when you either crash hard nose first or not so hard but with throttle on