Maintenance

Prop Overhauls: There’s a Right Way

Prices are up on propeller overhauls and repair, but the good shops do a lot more than minimum standards and that can make them last longer.

Larry Anglisano
Verified

Edited By:

Omar Filipovic

Those are composite propeller blades being prepped for painting after overhaul, main image. Composite props are more durable than many think, but upkeep is critical.

It’s easy to gloss over the importance of propeller upkeep. Walk the typical aircraft tiedown area and you’ll see some pretty worn and neglected props.

Rust, gouges and leaking hubs only scratch the surface of problems that you can spot with the naked eye. You should see what a proper propeller teardown reveals and that’s one of many reasons to send a prop to a shop that goes the extra mile to bring a propeller back to like-new standards. By request, here’s a summary of what proper overhauls entail.

Larry Anglisano

Editor in Chief Larry Anglisano has been a staple at Aviation Consumer since 1995. An active land, sea and glider pilot, Larry has over 30 years’ experience as an avionics repairman and flight test pilot. He’s the editorial director overseeing sister publications Aviation Safety magazine, IFR magazine and is a regular contributor to KITPLANES magazine with his Avionics Bootcamp column.