Pulling and Pushing a Plane by the Prop?

[Frank Giger]

Somewhere in my past - heck, it might have been before I was a pilot - I remember being admonished to never push or pull and aircraft around by its propeller.

It stuck with me for some reason and I've never done it, grabbing the vertical stab, wing strut, flat handing the cowl to push, or in the case of my Nieuport, just grabbing the horizontal stab supports, lifting the entire tail, and walking it around.

Yet I see guys pulling their planes out of hangars or pushing them in by the prop all the time.

Was that just some folksy wisdom, or was it correct?

[skyfixer8]

I was taught by an old mechanic to pull or push at the root of the blade, and don t turn the blade while doing this. Never trust a magneto. If you think about it, what moves the weight of the plane when the engine is running ?

[Low Pass]

The propeller pulls the plane around the sky, by design. On the other hand, the empennage DOES NOT pull the plane around by design. Just sayin.

[Frank Giger]

Pushing a conventional gear aircraft backwards is a bit like pushing a wet noodle. Just sayin.

[Bill Greenwood]

As a safety matter, I would generally keep my hands and body away from the prop and out of its arc, despite the often shown photos of someone absently minded posing leaning on a prop, even veteran pilots who should know better.
I would not push on one blade, and if needed to push a two blade prop would do it at the hub only. Iwouldnt push on one blade or even two of a 3 blade or 4 blade prop.
Prop makers say not to push/pull on the blades, but it is often done without apparent harm. A person is not going to use as much force as the engine does when pulling the plane. Pushing on the tip of just one blade might cause damage.

[Aaron Novak]

As a safety matter, I would generally keep my hands and body away from the prop and out of its arc, despite the often shown photos of someone absently minded posing leaning on a prop, even veteran pilots who should know better.
I would not push on one blade, and if needed to push a two blade prop would do it at the hub only. Iwouldnt push on one blade or even two of a 3 blade or 4 blade prop.
Prop makers say not to push/pull on the blades, but it is often done without apparent harm. Pushing on the tip of just one blade might cause damage.

Considering that most large males cant exert a force much over 50lbs while standing......pushing on a prop hub should be harmless.

[Mike Switzer]

Unless there is a handle for the purpose (as on some taildraggers) moving a plane by the tail can cause damage. I have seen 2 planes that needed ribs in the tail replaced because of people repeatedly leaning on the tail to lighten the nose & spinning the plane around. Pushing / pulling on the prop at the hub won't cause any damage.

[Frank Giger]

Thanks, all, for your insight.

It's one of those things that I heard and wasn't sure if it was a truism or a real thing.

Sort of like keeping a prop horizontal when the engine's off. I knew they are supposed to be that way but had to dig around to find out why.

For a wooden prop it's a best practice, as moisture in the wood will go to one blade if it's vertical - but I don't think it applies to composite ones.

[Low Pass]

Thanks, all, for your insight.

It's one of those things that I heard and wasn't sure if it was a truism or a real thing.

Sort of like keeping a prop horizontal when the engine's off. I knew they are supposed to be that way but had to dig around to find out why.

For a wooden prop it's a best practice, as moisture in the wood will go to one blade if it's vertical - but I don't think it applies to composite ones.

IMO, the only legitimate reason to turn any 2 blade prop horizontal is to hopefully prevent the wing from another plane from whacking it. The bit about moisture collecting in the lower of the two blades is not fact based. My composite Whirlwind is sealed. If I have moisture in the blades, I have big, big problems. At one time a few years back I had a Cub with a Sensenich wood prop. The prop was sealed end to end with epoxy fiberglass and spar varnish. If it had moisture getting inside, it would not be long for the world. And if it did get moisture in the wood, the water would wick along the grain in both directions. A la capillary action.

If someone knows differently, and can explain how orientation matters, please pass it along.

[rwanttaja]

IMO, the only legitimate reason to turn any 2 blade prop horizontal is to hopefully prevent the wing from another plane from whacking it. The bit about moisture collecting in the lower of the two blades is not fact based.

Don't worry, Marvel Mystery Oil will fix that right up. :-)

Ron Wanttaja