North America:1 (800) 942-7767
International:+1 (937) 778-4200
EASA TC also covers aluminum bladed propellers.
PIQUA, Ohio – July 2, 2007 – Hartzell Propeller Inc. announced
today that it has received European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
approval for their three-bladed ASC-II propeller. The approval also
marks the first U.S. propeller manufacturer to receive an EASA Type
Certificate. The new certification applies to all Hartzell J3F
Compact Series 3-bladed propellers, including the PHC-J3YF-1N/N7605
ASC-II propeller, which is currently installed on the Cirrus SR22.
About the ASC-II
Hartzell’s ASC-II is the first FAA certified advanced structural
composite propeller developed specifically for the general aviation
market.
Hartzell’s ASC-II is the result of the company’s nearly 30 year
experience in the design and manufacture of advanced structural
composite propellers. The Hartzell ASC-II is an optimized design
mated to a proprietary, Hartzell-developed manufacturing process. The
result is an advanced structural composite propeller that delivers
all of the advantages provided by Hartzell’s first generation of
composite propellers – low weight, low inertia, and low life cycle
costs – while minimizing the major disadvantage: the high cost
manufacturing process.
The Hartzell ASC-II consists of a unique monocoque structure of
advanced composite materials. Its carbon / Kevlar® laminate is
integrated into a co-molded stainless steel shank. The outboard half
of the leading edge is protected with a co-molded electroformed
nickel erosion shield. Aluminum mesh is embedded into the laminate
for lightning protection.
The new design offers numerous benefits to aircraft owners:
blade than comparable metal blades, providing greater useful load and
moving the aircraft center of gravity away from the propeller, often
creating more versatile loading capability.
reductions in inertia, which is vitally important for aerobatic
aircraft to minimize the gyroscopic effects of the propeller and
often means lower vibration and smoother operation for GA aircraft.
never require replacement because, unlike a metal blade, its surface
can be restored. While erosion of metal blades eventually requires
blade replacement, erosion damage to the Hartzell ASC-II blade can be
repaired. The durability and repairability of the Hartzell ASC-II
results in lower maintenance costs over its life.
match the performance of metal blades, since metal blades can be
produced with the thin airfoil sections needed for maximum
performance. The use of carbon in combination with Hartzell’s
proprietary manufacturing process yields a strong, yet thin,
monocoque structure that permits the use of thinner airfoil sections
at the blade tips and performance comparable to metal.
materials to make the structural part of the blade, creating an
extremely high strength advanced structural composite blade that is
stronger than other composite propeller blades.
provides assurance that the Hartzell ASC-II design is well proven.
As the only certified advanced structural composite propeller in the
GA market, the Hartzell ASC-II has lived through a simulated
encounter with a 4 pound bird at rotation, taken a direct hit of
200,000 amps of electricity to prove that it can survive an encounter
with lightning, and withstood a direct pull of 132,000 pounds
reaching the limit of the test fixture without failing (6.8 times the
normal Cf load) to demonstrate a safety margin in the event of an
engine overspeed. These special tests were performed in addition to
the normal battery of fatigue and endurance tests designed to
demonstrate that the propeller will have a long useful life and
flight tests that ensure stress levels fall within allowable limits
for safety.
About Hartzell
Hartzell Propeller Inc. is widely recognized as the leader in
advanced propeller design and manufacturing technology. The company
has recently 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. Hartzell traces its beginnings in 1917 to a relationship
with Orville Wright and was founded on the principal of “Built on
Honor” – a tradition that continues today. For more information
visit the company on the web at www.hartzellprop.com
