DynaVibe Helps Warbirds Fly Smoothly

Background

Aircorps Aviation, specializing in the restoration, maintenance, and rebuilding of vintage WWII aircraft, recently purchased a DynaVibe GX2 to perform dynamic prop balancing and vibration analysis on the warbirds that come through its shop. RPX Technologies co-founder Matthew Dock visited Aircorps Aviation to demonstrate how the DynaVibe GX2 works. 

During the visit, Bruce Olson’s T-6 was analyzed and balanced with the DynaVibe system.  The initial reading revealed a propeller vibration of 0.45 Inches Per Second (IPS), indicating a prop imbalance. Making some adjustments over the course of a few runs, the vibration was reduced to 0.06 IPS, reducing stress on the airplane and providing a smoother ride.

Outcome

The T-6 owner, Bruce Olson, found the DynaVibe GX2 demonstration interesting beyond just the dynamic prop balancing that was done.  “It made it clear to me that there are certain, other areas of that airplane that showed no vibration whatsoever.  It gives me an awful lot of confidence that the engine is in good shape.  Now we have a baseline for the engine, so if we come back next year and put it on the test stand, and something changes, we’ll know that there’s something going on in the engine.”

The preventative maintenance value of the DynaVibe GX2 analysis was not lost on Olson:  “After having a baseline and basically finding out if there is anything wrong with my airplane, it’s like having a full physical of your own body.  You now feel comfortable that everything’s okay, and there’s nothing I have to worry about… it lets us see if there’s anything going on inside that airplane that you could catch well in advance of a failure.”

Olson summarized the experience of having his T-6 dynamically balanced and getting a full-spectrum vibration analysis: “I’m very happy with what the guys did, it’s better than it was before.”

To learn more about DynaVibe and how to dynamically balance your prop, use the form below and enter your email address, visit the RPX Technologies online store or contact us directly: 405.896.0026 or [email protected].