M O R E P E R F O R M A N C E
Maximizing the efficiency of aircraft with the lower horsepower and higher RPMs of smaller piston engines would usually call for fewer blades. Unfortunately, two-bladed props have some inherent disadvantages.
For starters, they’re louder. Propellers are the source of most of the noise generated by an aircraft. And two-bladers are often larger in diameter, resulting in nearly supersonic tip speeds ... and dramatically increased noise levels. Refinement of propeller airfoil design can also reduce noise levels to a more comfortable level.
Two-bladers are also more prone to vibration. Two blades create two large pulses of thrust compared to a three-blader’s three smaller, smoother pulses. Two-blades often provide less ground tip clearance which leads to more nicks and scratches on the blades. And as the size of the engine increases ... requiring more blade area to effectively absorb the increased power ... two-bladed props must become unconventionally long and heavy.
The Propeller That’s Best For Your
Aircraft Depends On The Type Of Performance You’re Looking For.
In long-range applications like the nonstop around the world flight of Voyager, noise,
vibration, acceleration, climb and ground tip clearance were not flight priorities.
Extreme cruise efficiency with minimal weight were. The result of these priorities was a
two-bladed Hartzell design that helped to maximize endurance.
For very high altitude applications like the world record holding flight of the Boeing Condor, very large but extremely lightweight Hartzell composite three-bladed props were utilized to generate thrust in the thin air of 66,000 plus feet.
Applications involving most Beechcraft, Cessna, Mooney, Piper and other general aviation aircraft are quite different. Here performance in every category is desirable and all of these factors must be part of the propeller’s design.
With the help of today’s powerful computers and the experience of more than 300 proven Hartzell propeller blade designs (more than any other manufacturer in the world), it is possible to take the inherent advantages of a prop with more blades ... less noise and vibration plus greater acceleration and climb ... and often match or improve the cruise performance that used to be the privileged domain of props with fewer blades.
Hartzell Is At The Forefront Of This
Effort.
Hartzell has been in business since 1917 when it built its first walnut props for the
Wright Brothers in nearby Dayton and for Glen Curtiss’ brand new Jenny. From that
auspicious beginning, Hartzell has set time to altitude records with the Army Air Force
Scouts in the 1920s, barnstormed with the Wacos in the 1930s, developed general
aviation’s first controllable pitch props for Cessna’s 310, as well as the
industry’s first reversing propeller for Beech’s turboprop King Air.
Today Hartzell is designing and building six-bladed composite props for the next generation of regional airliners.
And through its Top Prop conversion program, Hartzell is providing a way for the pilots of a large portion of the existing general aviation fleet to significantly improve the performance of their aircraft.
To date, literally thousands of pilots have converted with Hartzell props ... all of which include the ironclad Plus Three™ warranty. It provides pilots with an industry leading three years or 1,000 hours of total coverage. Hartzell Top Prop pilots also enjoy the longest TBO standards in the industry (2,400 hours/6 years).
Kits for more than 50 different aircraft makes and models are currently available with more on the horizon. So if you’re interested in discovering exactly what a new Hartzell prop can do for your aircraft, call 1-800-942-PROP today. In the meantime, take a look on the next page at what some of these 1,000 plus pilots are saying about their high performance propeller conversion and what it’s meant for their flying.
