Press Releases

Piqua, Ohio – July 26, 2010. Hartzell Propeller Inc. will display its new Claw 2.0™ propeller at AirVenture 2010 in Oshkosh at the hands of aerobatic pilot Sean D. Tucker flying his new Challenger III biplane.

The Claw 2.0 is an advanced structural composite propeller produced using Hartzell’s proprietary ASC-II™ technology. The original “Claw” and the new Claw 2.0™ are the only certified advanced composite propellers available for aerobatic use.

The Hartzell Claw 2.0 was installed as the construction on Tucker’s new Challenger III was being completed last winter, and he has now logged more than 150 flight hours with the new prop. Flying more than 20,000 hours over his career, Tucker is one of the most skilled and inventive aerobatic pilots in the world.

Tucker said, “I’ve been using the Claw 2.0 for six months now, and I can’t tell you how happy I am with its operation. It has displayed superior performance at low airspeeds, and in high alpha maneuvers, and pulls better than any of my other props. I’ve also noticed it has improved my aileron effectiveness at low speeds.

“The advanced technology Hartzell has developed is truly amazing; I’ve never used a prop with such obvious performance improvements, both at low and high speeds.”

Hartzell’s senior vice-president of marketing and customer services, Mike Disbrow said, “The true test for any new prop is the feedback we receive from professional pilots like Sean Tucker. He is validating the hard work of our engineers and manufacturing people with the new Claw 2.0 aerodynamics and manufacturing process and is demonstrating visible performance improvements that have led to even more thrilling aerobatics; the kind you can see Sean perform this year at Oshkosh and beyond.”

The Hartzell prop is composed of a unique lamination of carbon fiber and Kevlar™, with an electroformed nickel leading edge erosion shield. The composite structure is co-molded on an integral stainless steel shank that accommodates bolt-on counterweights needed for aerobatics.

Hartzell’s Claw 2.0 kit is available for experimental category Extra 300/330 aircraft and includes the 3-blade propeller and a carbon composite spinner at a introductory price of $21,900, with a three-year / 1,000-hour warranty and 6-year / 1,000-hour TBO.

Hartzell Propeller is widely recognized as the leader in advanced propeller design and manufacturing technology. The company has developed the next generation of propellers based upon innovative “blended airfoil” technology and is manufacturing these blades on revolutionary machining centers or with its new ASC-II™ composite technology, to provide mission-optimized performance for its customers. It traces its beginnings in 1917 to a business relationship with Orville Wright and was founded on the principle of “Built on Honor” – a tradition that continues today.