Press Releases

With Completion of the Ice Ingestion Test, Hartzell and

Adam Aircraft Have Now Achieved Overall Propeller Certification.

PIQUA, Ohio – December 28, 2004 – Hartzell Propeller Inc. announced today that its high technology blended airfoil propeller system for the Adam Aircraft A500 has passed the final hurdle for certification on the aircraft.   This recent FAA regulation requires all new pusher propeller installations, such as the aft propeller on the Adam A500, to ingest airframe ice shed during an inadvertent icing encounter without causing a hazardous condition. After extensive analysis and coordination between Hartzell, Adam and the FAA, a very severe simulated ice ingestion test was developed. The test was conducted using a compressed-gas gun at the University of Dayton Research Institute’s Impact Physics lab to shoot 3-1/4 inch diameter (softball-sized) ice balls at the propeller at speeds up to 520 miles per hour.  This test condition simulated a long section of wing leading edge ice striking the propeller blade at the most critical position, angle and velocity. Despite the severity of the test, the propeller’s structural integrity and critical feathering functions were maintained, passing the FAA’s requirements. This will make the A500 with its Hartzell propellers, the first production aircraft to have passed such a stringent test.

The propellers for the innovative aircraft are 78-inch diameter, 3-bladed designs utilizing the company’s proprietary blended airfoil technology that allows for optimization of the airfoil along the entire length of the blade. This is the first application of this technology in a pusher configuration.  Adam’s test pilots have been impressed with the single engine performance of these propellers, with little difference noted in operation on either the front or the rear propeller.  The outstanding performance of this propeller system adds to the overall safety provided by the A500’s centerline thrust configuration in engine out operations.

“We selected Hartzell for the A500 project because we wanted a partner that not only could provide us with high performance propeller systems, but also one that could provide the intensive customer support required to assist us with our certification program. The support we received on the ice ingestion test confirmed that we chose the right partner,” said Rick Adam, CEO of Adam Aircraft.

“Hartzell shares Rick Adam’s philosophy of enhancing flight safety, so we’re justifiably proud that our propellers are exceeding Adam’s expectations for single engine performance and have clearly demonstrated their durability and reliability in passing the new ice ingestion test,” said Mike Disbrow, Senior Vice President of Hartzell.

Adam Aircraft is a designer and manufacturer of advanced aircraft for civil and government markets. The company uses computer-aided design, rapid prototyping, advanced manufacturing techniques, and carbon composite materials to produce very high-performance aircraft at attractive prices. The A500 twin-piston aircraft is approaching FAA certification and the new A700 AdamJet is currently undergoing initial flight test. The company’s largest outside investor is Goldman Sachs. Adam Aircraft’s headquarters are based on Centennial Airport (APA) in Englewood, Colorado. To learn more about the company, visit  www.adamaircraft.com.

Hartzell Propeller Inc. is widely recognized as the leader in advanced propeller design and manufacturing technology. NASA has recognized Hartzell’s advanced design capability by naming it the exclusive propeller partner for its General Aviation Propulsion (GAP) program. The company has recently developed the next generation of propeller designs based upon innovative “blended airfoil” technology and is manufacturing these blades on revolutionary machining centers 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