Hartzell Propeller has received Federal Aviation Administration Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) approval for the company’s advanced swept airfoil structural composite five-blade propeller to be installed on TBM 700/850 aircraft. Hartzell already has taken orders for the advanced propellers and deliveries to TBM owners are expected to begin shortly.
“Our new propeller design for the TBM turboprop results in faster takeoff acceleration, higher cruise speeds and better climb, along with less noise,” said Joe Brown, president Hartzell Propeller.
“Carbon composite, due to its incredible strength and light weight, allows Hartzell’s design group the freedom to optimize blade chord thickness and sweep while still achieving maximum strength. That’s the key: thin, light and strong, leading to unmatched performance,” he added. “The strong structural composite construction of these carbon fiber blades and their sleek aerodynamic design boosts the TBM’s already impressive performance to an even higher level.”
Hartzell says with the new propeller, the TBM’s takeoff acceleration from zero to 90 knots is 10 percent faster than with any other available propeller. Hartzell’s new propeller also provides for a couple hundred-feet-per-minute faster climb rate. Cruise is two knots faster than the Hartzell four-blade metal prop, and a full five knots faster than a less-advanced five-blade wood-based propeller option. The new Hartzell five-blade prop is also significantly quieter in the cabin and in the pattern.
Hartzell’s proprietary resin-injected carbon fiber blades are five to 10 times stronger than beech wood and spruce construction. The thinner airfoil, which is possible due to carbon fiber’s greater strength, makes the improved TBM performance possible.
The new five-blade design features a state-of-the-art composite wedge retention into its stainless steel alloy shank rather than the more rudimentary aluminum and lag screw construction used in lower performing propellers. Hartzell incorporates an innovative nickel erosion mesh and field replaceable nickel-cobalt erosion shield to prevent foreign object damage.
Hartzell received FAA and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Type Certificate (TC) approval for the propeller in 2013. Hartzell offers the new prop with a “Plus 3” warranty, which covers the propeller for a full three years or 1,000 hours and a 3,600-hour/six-year TBO (Time Between Overhaul). The new propeller is available directly through Hartzell’s Top Prop conversion program or through DAHER-SOCATA’s distributor network.