Old wooden propeller

[europe172]

I have to look after a large 44-year-old propeller, does anyone out there know of reference material or historical data detailing effects of age on material strength or fatigue resistance

 

[boo1]

Basic approval confirms that the propeller meets certain strength and durability criteria. The following chart lists the FAR 35 requirements that must be met in order for a propeller to be type certified:

Must have installation, operation, and maintenance manuals.
Must be constructed from approved materials.
Must have all operating limits defined.
Must be able to withstand a 41% overspeed (twice the rated centrifugal force) without failing.
Fatigue tests of the hub and blades must be conducted.
Must pass an endurance test while installed on an engine.
Functional testing requires operation of over 1,500 pitch change cycles.
Durability testing must be conducted for 1,000 hours of operation.

Special conditions may be assigned. For composite blades, bird strike and lightning strike tests are generally required before the propeller is certified.

see:

http://www2.faa.gov/certification/aircraft/

propeller links
and

http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulator...CD9A9FF131A2DE8E852565B1006120CC?OpenDocument

 

[europe172]

Thanks boo1.
This prop is VERY LARGE and fifty years old, I was hoping that someone could point me in the direction of fatigue data for laminate mohogany, if there has been any tests carried out with referance to age effect.