Exp Aircraft Services

Customer Comments

I met Walt through Danny King and I am so glad I did. Walt replaced my panel with a Garmin G3x touch with all the bells and whistles. He did a excellent job on the installation and also did my condition inspection and balance the prop. He said that my engine was running way to rich and adjusted it for over 45 minutes. It now idles, starts and runs better now than it ever has. Walt's attention to detail and the quality of his work is outstanding. I believe he charges a fair price for a first class job. My plane will never go to any other shop. Thanks again Walt for a unbelievable panel, smooth and great running RV8. Glenn Womack

When I started building my RV 7 in 2002 I used Vansairforce.net to see if there were any builders in my area. Amazing, there was one just a few blocks from me in Flower Mound. I stopped by to meet Walt Aronow as he worked on his RV 7 wings. His work was beautiful. How could a guy working in his home garage do such beautiful work I wondered. His riveting was so perfect. Wow I thought to myself. I was new to this airplane building stuff and could see right away I had some improving to do. I soon learned this new friend had 30 plus years in aviation of which most were spent keeping the Boeings we fly in stay safely in the air.

Well I have been flying my RV7 five years now and it wouldn’t have been possible without Walt. His critical eye, his concern for safety, his willingness to tell me when I just needed to do some things over. He knows every aspect of the aircraft from airframe to avionics. He doesn’t believe in taking any chances and that’s why I like having his set of eyes and opinions at inspection time.

If you need some help with your project you will be as pleased as I have been with Walt. Give him a call.

And the bonus………………he is one swell guy.

Steve Zahorsky, N1346Z, 750 hours

Yes indeed, Walt did a great job and the difference is noticeable as you would expect from reading Walt's documentation. Prior to the 12, I have always flown high performance aircraft with constant speed props. Both Hartzell and MacCauley encouraged flying with a balanced propeller for ride enhancement yes but as well for engine and propeller longevity. Both state in their operating manuals that dynamic balancing will prolong the life of the propeller, engine, airframe and avionics. To my knowledge, no such recommendation has been discussed concerning the RV12 yet the same reasoning should apply in spite of the gearbox.

I now have a much smoother ride and hopefully have extended the life of my engine as well as everything else that doesn't like to vibrate, including my brain.

I do know that the balancing business can be much like the septic business...those who know what they're doing and those who just take your money. Make your selection carefully if you decide to go this route.

I think the decision to balance or not balance is a no-brainer. Walt made me a believer. He's also a very nice guy and very knowledgeable concerning this topic. I couldn't be happier...thanks Walt.

Peter K.

Walt, just wanted to thank you for a great job balancing my propeller.

Last Sunday took the RV7 up for a test flight and it is smooooooth!

Thanks Again
Alex D.
www.RVTraining.com

Ok, I said I would report the numbers and now I have them in
hand and on paper. The above post was close but here are
the actuals from Walt.

Boomer RV7A IO360 Hartzell M7497---.461---.111---.023
Bulleit RV6 O360 Hartzell 7666------.251---.046---.009
Woody RV7A IO360 Hartzell 7497---.337---.48---.016
Crash RV6A O360 Hartzell 7497---.193---.060---.030

As you can see, you owe it to yourself and your machine.
You just think it is in BALANCE. .20 is the upper limit.
3 of these were OUT.

Walt--Thanks again for the great lessons.

Bruce (Boomer) Pauley

Smoooooooooth……

I have been a believer in Dynamic Prop Balancing ever since I had the Val’s prop balanced shortly after she was flying. I frequently have pilot passengers remark on the smoothness of the engine in cruise, and I think that the balancing is a large part of this. I have often wondered if the balance might shift over time with wear, but haven’t had a chance to just check it, and still don’t know for sure. But I WAS able to take advantage of a great offer by Walt Aronow up in Fort Worth to get Louise’s prop balanced today, and learned a bit about how it might shift.

Cowl removal was quick, and before we got started, Walt volunteered to grease the prop since we had things opened up. After that, he began to set up for the tests. I could tell right away that he had the latest equipment for the job – compact, rugged, and simple to attach. The last time I had the Val done b a traveling balancing fellow, his equipment looked like it had been salvaged from a castle laboratory in Transylvania, right down to an X-Y plotter and an oscilloscope. Walt’s gear looked like it could land on a beach with Navy Seals and not be damaged. A small accelerometer was bolted to the engine spine, and a light sensor attached to the top of the Number 2 Cylinder rocker arm cover screw. A patch of reflective tape on the back of the prop blade for the light sensor to detect the blade finished things up. Walt taped the cables along the leading edge of the wing so that he could stand well clear, and we were set to go.

After that, my job was simple – run the engine up to cruise RPM and hold it there while took a ten second vibration sample. Full aft stick for this, please (and a rope tied to the tail wheel and secured to Walt’s truck as well…)! After each of the four runs, Walt did some magic and calculated the weight and location of the required balance weights, which are nothing more than AN bolts, nuts, and washers attached to the flywheel holes. The system tells him how much weight to attach to which positions, and he goes through his hardware collection using a sensitive gram scale to find combinations that give him what he needs. Each run was better than the last, and we ended up with a balance of 0.024 inches/second – about as close as you can actually measure. And there was no question that the engine was smoother after the balancing. We started out at about 0.24, so that was an order of magnitude improvement.

Thanks Walt for a great job at a great price

Paul Dye

Walt,
I just wanted to add to the praise on your prop balances. I was on the oil spill and didn't have a chance to fly the -6 for awhile after the balance. When I did, I could notice a very nice improvement in the smoothness. Thanks!

__________________
Louise Hose

Walt repaired my transponder and certified it. I flew my C182 over to 52F from GPM for a check. Little did I know it had a minor hiccup.... at least for Walt. He has awesome equipment and is experienced enough to quickly work the issue and repair it. The certification went well after that. He was willing to come to GPM, but it is easier to work a "hiccup" at his place.

Thanks Walt!!

John E.

Hi Walt,

Just a quick note to say that we passed our Special Airworthiness Certificate inspection on Sunday. Mel Asberry did the check and thanks in part to your pre inspection, he could find nothing wrong!!

Thanks for all your help getting us ready Walt.

Nigel Goad

Just a note to say thanks to Walt for excellent work and a pleasant visit too. Walt did the leak test on my static system and a W&B a month or so ago, and so I wanted to use him for the balancing act too. My 8 always vibrated a little especially when throttling up to about 2000 rpm to cycle the prop. That vibration went away after Walt added the first trial weight.

The smoothness was very noticable even on runup and the engine felt wonderful climbing out from 52f to go back to Hicks. 5 minutes into the flight home I was smiling and enjoying the new sense of confidence that having a smoother running engine brings. Of all I've spent on this plane, this was the best bang for the buck.

I flew for over an hour yesterday and the difference in my enjoyment and confidence int he plane is huge! The balancing really made a difference and it made the RV fun again

John D.

Best service and professional experience! When I had some unexpected maintenance due on my RV-4, Walt at EXP Aircraft Services had all the answers and more. Walt was able to diagnose all of my squawks and repair any issues quickly saving me money and down time. He was very fair and thorough on his inspection, I plan on using EXP Aircraft Services for all of my future maintenance. Thanks Walt for a great experience!

Brint Hlavaty