Hand Proping??????

[Crazycanuck]

Please forgive that I am a bit of a noobie here. I was reading the plans for my Cozy last night and it said something about forgoing a starter motor and hand proping the engine in order the save weight. Do builders actually do this? I am just trying to figure out how I would convince my wife to start a 360"^3 engine by hand while I operate the throttle from safely within the cabin. I can't see it happening.

[TMann]

Buy a starter and a treadmill.

That's what I did.

[Wayne Hicks]

Some sections of the Cozy IV plans were copied and pasted from the Cozy III plans, which were copied and pasted from the Cosy plans, which were copied and pasted from the Long-EZ plans, which were copied and pasted from the VariEze plans. It was recommended that VariEzes forego starters and hand-prop to save weight.

 

When you buy your IV plans and start building Chapter 4, don't get discouraged when it takes you 60+ hours to build the bulkheads when the plans say you should complete them in 25 hours.

[Crazycanuck]

When I was a kid my dad lost part of his thumb to a radio control airplane. That was only a 0.25"^3 engine so I found the suggestion of hand proping a 360"^3 engine a little odd. It is a little like that game that we all used to play as kids of slapping the backside of a bull and then running for the fence. Ahhh, fun memories.

[John D. Wages]

It is a little like that game that we all used to play as kids of slapping the backside of a bull and then running for the fence. Ahhh, fun memories.

Wow!...and I thought life in Mississippi was fun all those years ago! For those of you who have never heard of Bull Slapping, check this out...

Yes... Mississippi..."Where men are men, and sheep are nervous"

[Big Steve]

Yes people do build canards without starters. I built and flew my Longeze without a starter. I got really good at hand propping my 0235. I have no Idea how hard it would be to pull and 0360 through though. I plan on a starter this time around but I am going to hand prop it to start it occasionally it is a good way to keep and eye on your motor. STeve

[michaelj]

I recall that to "legally" prop an airplane a licenced pilot must be at the controls. Having said that not very many people have seen me prop an airplane in an alternate method. I did have one , eye opener years ago. When I had an 0200 powered C150 I usually rotated the prop to the horizontal in order to push or pull it across the ramp. One time I used one hand to rotate the prop and evidently passed TDC. The motor caught and started! Needless to say I was disappointed in myself and took the proper precautions thereafter. Personally, I think an airplane without a starter is a loaded gun. I have propped an airplane many times but only when the situation necessitated.

[Marc Zeitlin]

I recall that to "legally" prop an airplane a licenced pilot must be at the controls.

That's not correct. There is no FAR that requires either two people or a pilot to hand prop a plane. It's certainly smart to have two people, and good if one is at least familiar with the controls, if not a pilot, but it's not a requirement.

[Crazycanuck]

I think I will be installing a starter on my plane and looking some where else to save weight. Titanium nuts and bolts perhaps?

[argoldman]

I think I will be installing a starter on my plane and looking some where else to save weight. Titanium nuts and bolts perhaps?

just leave out the battery and the radios:p

[Drew Swenson]

Now that you have the starter, you will need the battery and radios to balance the weight.