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I have just recently installed a 3 blade MT on a Legacy with
the IO-550 and am curious where the 53# weight info comes from. I put it
on a good digital scale and it weighed 63#. This is a counterweighted prop
and the bulk of the weight seems to be in the hub as the blades appear to be
very light. One thing that appeals to me with this prop is that the
default (no oil pressure) position of the blades is in course pitch which is a
good thing when trying to glide with a dead engine. On the negative side,
however, is the fact that the MT spinner diameter is about 1/2 inch larger in
diameter than the Hartzell and the cowling is designed for the Hartzell,
apparently, and requires quite a bit of body work to fit the MT. Also, the
spinner on a Hartzell is fore and aft adjustable which makes it easier to get a
good spinner/cowling gap but the MT is in a fixed position. Haven't flown
it yet so can't give any performance data. Looks cool, though. We
report, you decide.
Leighton Mangels
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