Props

Hartzell’s popular five-blade carbon-fiber composite propeller now is available for Piper’s Meridian and M500 single-engine pressurized turboprops, the companies announced this week. “Hartzell’s new Meridian composite prop boosts climb rate while decreasing noise,” said Hartzell President Joe Brown. The blades are certified for unlimited life and are 5 to 10 times stronger than wood core […]

In May 2008 the FAA published five new SAIBs or Suggested Airworthiness Information Bulletins on propeller maintenance. While these bulletins do not carry the weight of an AD, they do come about as a result of discussions with field organizations such as aircraft type clubs as well as maintenance shops who identify problems they see […]

AVweb‘s weekly review of what is happening in aviation uncovered news of an invitation to fly in and help out with Bahamas Habitat, a record-setting third quarter for Embraer, a collaboration in the development of the Sun Flyer electric airplane, and an announcement that Hartzell’s developmental activities for its new five-blade prop will be showcased […]

Although aircraft sales are still in the doldrums, Hartzell has stayed busy in its R&D shop, developing a range of new products that are lighter and more efficient than existing props. Hartzell’s Joe Brown gave AVweb an update recently. view on YouTube

An incentive to use technology to reduce overflight noise for Grand Canyon National Park air tour operators kicked in on the first day of the new year. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the eight flightseeing operators have to pay a $25 fee per flight over the Grand Canyon; however, the fee is reduced to […]

Composite props may be the latest shiny object to make airplanes go, but most of them have wood cores, and the basic wooden prop is enjoying somewhat of a resurgence. AVweb’s Paul Bertorelli took a tour of Sensenich’s prop factory in Plant City, Florida to see how these products are made. view on YouTube

GE is researching whether cold-spray technology can be deployed to build or repair aircraft engine parts and possibly extend the lifespan of those parts (and others) by years or, more optimistically, decades. GE believes that engine parts made by cold-spray processes, also known as 3D painting, will be less expensive to produce and will be […]