Airmaster Propeller Sales

Airmaster Propellers has grown to be one of the best propeller manufacturers for experimental light aircraft. The propeller is designed to be installed and maintained by a builder/owner operator.  Annual service requirements can be performed by an owner as well.  With a 2000 Hr. TBO, this propeller gives years of service and ease of maintenance which is unparalleled in the industry.  Airmaster can supply propellers for all the popular experimental engine manufacturers such as Rotax, Jabiru, UL Power, Limbach as well as propellers for the Continental O-200, Lycoming O-235 and O-320.

Click the Airmaster Propellers link immediately below to link to the Airmaster site for you to find your particular aircraft and find the historically recommended propeller for your aircraft. If you don’t see your aircraft listed, click on the link below and read how to select a propeller best suited for your aircraft. In this article, it gives owners hub and blade selections which have proven to add performance. I suggest you contact us at Custom Flight Creations, and we will walk you through the best propeller to match your needs and dispel many of the myths on propeller selection.  In link below is an article from Bud Yerly at Custom Flight which describes the analytic process of selecting the best prop for a Rotax powered aircraft of any type. It dispels myths and presents the necessary data which is important in your selection criteria.  This is a must read for the person trying to prevent a purchase mistake.

Below are some of our propeller and hub combinations which have been proven performers:

	The AP420 is a real performer with great acceleration and cruise for the Rotax 912 owner.  Like most two blades is a bit noisier but is nearly six pounds lighter than our three blade propellers. In testing the Sensenich blades in the AP420 give great all round performance to our Rotax owners.
	Both the AP332 and 430 can be equipped with the Whirlwind blades. The three blade is quiet, smooth and great looking. We see 3-6 knots increase over our other blades available for the 332 hub. For the very slow STOL aircraft we also have the 75 inch Whirlwind  STOL blades or Z blades for great initial acceleration but slower top end. With the Whirlwind W blades or high speed blades, on a  Rotax engine we find that it performs as well as the two blade, is quieter and smoother.  This is a great cruising propeller.  Quiet and fast.  Ask us to help you choose your blade length for best all around performance.  The optimum length for best climb and cruise is 67-70 inches.
	At Last, Jabiru 3300 owners have an option for a great propeller ideally suited for the Jabiru owners. The Sensenich ZN blade on the AP420 is a great match for any Jabiru owner. The thinner blade section prevents lugging the engine and creating mixture problems.  The ZN blade is 62 to 64 inches to match the torque of the Jabiru 3300.  Do not install a longer blade for the Jabiru.  See our Cooling 102 paper in the Techniques section of this website on other Jabiru improvements .
	Seaplane owners don’t miss this! – Reversing or Beta Mode. Seaplane owners are no longer at the mercy of the elements. Back away from the dock or beach or help brake when approaching the beach with a tailwind. Our AC 200 Beta version of the Airmaster hub allows just the right reverse thrust to help our seaplane/floatplane owners.

 

"Why do I use the Airmaster? No oil leaks, easy operation, full feathering at any speed and the comfort that in the event of a controller failure, I am not stuck out. The Airmaster can be operated in manual (a variable pitch only mode). Should the brushes fail, or complete electrical failure, I can continue my flight in manual control, land and and with a screw driver, open the prop motor cover and use a 9 volt battery to drive the blades to a fixed pitch setting to get me home. The comfort of a prop that is perfectly tuned to my 914 Rotax, with no chance of an oil leak or other problems to stick me out on a cross country adventure."

Bud Yerly, N12AY Europa Classic with XS mods 400 trouble free hours.

What if you don’t have a Rotax powered aircraft. 

Airmaster has propeller hubs and blade combinations for the experimental aircraft power plants.  Whether it is a Rotax, Jabiru, UL Power, Limbach, Continental, Lycoming,  and some auto conversion engines we can assist you in your propeller choice.

Airmaster FAQs:

Q: Why should I buy from a US Dealer?
A: Simple, we service what we sell, help with installs and assist in non standard installations.  At Custom Flight Creations we have experience in installations on over 30 propellers on everything from seaplanes, to auto-gyros. We know what works and can tailor your prop to your aircraft. We have helped a number of suffering owners who have listened to so called “experts” in their aircraft, who guided them into making poor choices, which resulted in disappointing performance and long expensive delays in getting their prop choice corrected.

Q: If I buy from an OEM, will you service me if he can’t?
A: Repairs are very rare in an Airmaster.  If you need service, service instructions are clearly outlined in the Installation Manual.  Should you have a rare propeller breakdown, you will have to go back to your OEM and or to Airmaster in New Zealand for repair authorization service. However, frequently Custom Flight Creations is asked by Airmaster to service an OEM customer because the owner is stuck or the OEM doesn’t have the experience to service the prop.  Many times we order up a replacement part and walk the owner through the troubleshooting and he is back flying in a couple days.  No packing up the prop and sending it to some other country to fix.

Q: What kind of blade is best?
A: At Custom Flight, I am an Aero Engineer and am familiar with the various blade manufacturers in the US and the many experimental aircraft manufacturers world wide. We have computer programs, and test data from  our blade manufacturers and aircraft manufacturers to assist us in determining what blade length and type is best suited for your aircraft. Often times we have to test for ourselves.  There are many factors which affect propeller choice. Just because a prop shape is available and works in a fixed pitch, doesn’t mean it will work well in a constant speed hub. A prop blade may work well for STOL operations but be a disaster for attempting to increase cruise when installed in a constant speed propeller hub.  Without the assistance of knowledgeable folks, using the proper tools and experience you are guessing or using data unrelated to your aircraft and your mission, and perhaps making an expensive mistake…  Listen to the kit manufactures, ask our dealers and Airmaster owners of your particular experimental aircraft and then come to us and let us tailer your propeller to your particular needs.

What other Europa owners say about Airmaster Propellers!

Q:  Is it necessary to balance my propeller or does it come balanced.

A:  Our propellers are statically balanced at the factory.  It is essential to have a dynamic balance accomplished after you install your Airmaster to balance what I call the propulsion system.  This includes the prop, gearbox, and engine.  A proper dynamic balance can lead to finding airframe or engine problems.  Most have found the static balance was sufficient as the prop felt very smooth.  However, after a dynamic balance were impressed how much smooth their propulsion system became.  Vibration promotes fatigue and wear on engine suspension components.  Always dynamically balance your propeller.  You balance a lot more than just the prop.

Q: What are the maintenance requirements like?
A: The installation manual covers the annual maintenance requirements. If you installed the propeller, you can maintain it. Carrying a manual around on cross country flights is a pain. Just load the maintenance manual pdf file on your phone or tablet (which we all fly with today), and should you need to consult the maintenance manual, you’ve got it. I even keep my greasing SL 01 as well as my engine manuals on my phone for doing my 25 hour and annual inspections.  Annual inspections are a simple check of the blades and hub for wear or damage, then remove and re-grease the blades and hub, check the brushes for wear, clean your slip rings then reassemble, operationally check it and go fly.

Click here to review the Airmaster_SL 1 Greasing Procedure

 Brush Change on the Airmaster propeller.

Click here to review a compressed AP3 and 4 series Operator’s Manual V4

Q:  Does Airmaster have a loaner propeller?

A:  No, but as a dealer, I do have a fixed pitch tractor drive 64 inch Warp Drive propeller with a 10 inch spinner as a loaner.  The prop and spinner comes complete with instructions all in one box.  Although short in length, it fits nearly any aircraft and the top end performance is quite similar to props up to 70 inches.  (See our article on “What propeller is best for my Rotax powered aircraft”.

Q:  How can I get my prop balanced?

A:  The Airmaster Propeller comes statically balanced from the factory when new.  All propellers should be dynamically balanced.  The dynamic balancing is normally accomplished by a technician or A&P with the proper equipment.  Always re-balance a propeller when the prop blades are reconditioned or the balance weights removed by a dynamic balance technician and the balance was incomplete, many propeller shops have static/dynamic balance services available to re-balance the prop.  I have my own kit for a static balance of an Airmaster that is satisfactory and easy enough for an owner/operator to get an acceptable initial static balance.  Many amateur builders (myself included) end up buying a dynamic balancer such as the Aces or Dynavibe units and learned to do the balance themselves.  See the Techniques Section of this website for some techniques on propeller balancing.

Don’t have a Europa like my test airplane?

Click here to see what other aircraft use the Airmaster Propeller from the Airmaster Website.