McCAULEYPROPELLERSYSTEMS
CONSTANTSPEEDCOMPOSITEOWNER/OPERATOR
INFORMATIONMANUAL
PROPELLERINSPECTION/CHECK
1.Limitations
A.Operationalandservicepersonnelshouldbefamiliarwiththefollowinglimitationsduringany
inspection.
B.Corrosion.Otherthansmallareasoflightsurfacecorrosionwithnoevidenceofpitting,thepresence
ofcorrosionmayrequirepropellerremovalandreconditioningbyanappropriatelyratedrepairfacility.
Intergranularcorrosionmaybepresentwhenthecorrosionprotectivecoatings(paint,anodizecoating,
etc.)havebeenlost.Corrosionpittingshouldberemovedasdescribedintheoverhaulmanualbyan
FAAapprovedPart145PropellerRepairStationorinternationalequivalent.
C.BladeShortening.
(1)Propellertipdamagewillsometimesleadeldmaintenancepersonneltoconsiderremoving
damagedmaterialfromthebladetips.However,propellersarecertiedtotheaircraftengine
andairframeresonantfrequencybybeingmanufacturedwithaparticulardiametertominimize
vibration.Shorteningofthebladeswithoutreferencetoapproveddatacouldcreatean
unairworthycondition.Refertotheairplanetypecerticatedatasheet,aircraftspecication
sheet,orsupplementaltypecerticatedatasheetasapplicable,fortheallowablepropeller
diameterforeachpropellerinstallation.
(2)Withcertainlimitations,specicminorrepairsmaybeaccomplished.
(a)Ifthebladetiphasbeendamagedandtheremovalofthedamagedareawouldresultin
shorteningofthepropellerblade(s),thepropellershallbetakentoanFAAapprovedPart
145PropellerRepairStationorinternationalequivalentbypersonneltrainedtooverhaul
McCauleycompositepropellersforpropellerbladerepair.
(b)Whenconditionsindicate,inspectthebladetipsforevidenceofshorteningand,if
necessary,measurethepropellerdiametertodetermineifanunauthorizedrepairhas
alteredit.
2.DenitionsofDefectsandDamage
A.Brinellingistheoccurrenceofshallow,sphericaldepressionsinasurface,usuallyproducedbyapart
havingasmallradiusincontactwiththesurfaceunderhighload.
B.ABurrisasmall,thinsectionofmetalwhichextendsbeyondtheedgeofaregularsurfaceandusually
islocatedonacornerof,orontheedgeof,aboreorhole.
C.BVID-BarelyVisibleImpactDamage,impactdamagethatisbarelyvisuallydetectablewithoutthe
useofamagnifyingglass.
D.Corrosionisthelossofsurfacemetalbyachemicalorelectrochemicalaction,andtheresulting
product(forexample,ironrust)usuallycanberemovedmechanically.
E.ACrackisanirregularlyshapedseparationwithinamaterialatalocationofexcessivestressand
usuallyisvisibleasathinlineacrossthesurfaceofthematerial.
F.ACutisamechanicallossofmaterial(e.g.,bysawblade,chisel,orglancingblowofasharp-edge
stone),usuallyextendingtoasignicantdepthoverarelativelylong,narrowarea.
G.Delaminationisthefailureofthebondbetweenlaminatelayers,thisfailurecanbecausedbymatrix
breakdown,repeatedcyclicstress,orimpactdamage.
H.ADentisadepressioninamaterialsurfacecausedbyanobjectstrikingthesurfacewithforce.
NOTE:Thesurfacearoundthedentusuallywillbesightlydeformed.
I.DistortionorBendingisthealterationofacomponent’soriginalsizeorshape.
J.Erosionisthegradualwearingawayordeteriorationofamaterialduetoactionoftheelements.
K.Exposureisleavingamaterialopentoactionoftheelements.
61-03-00Page601
©McCauleyPropellerSystemsJan9/2017