MT said one of its goals in designing and manufacturing the propeller, called the MTV-4-1, is to help keep the vintage aircraft flying as airworthy parts for the original propellers are “becoming increasingly difficult” to find.

• READ MORE: Pilatus PC-12 Aircraft Meet European Noise Regs with 7-Blade Prop

The new propeller looks like the original, with a similar blade shape, but the blades are made of a natural composite and certified and tested for an unlimited lifespan, according to MT. The F-82 used for testing has helped demonstrate the propellers’ capabilities this year while flying to airshows across the U.S. The composite warbird propellers are moving through the FAA certification process.

MT is a renowned manufacturer of a range of composite propellers, including hydraulically controlled models with two to seven blades designed for engines of up to 5,000 hp and electrically controlled props with two to four blades for engines up to 350 hp. The company also makes two-blade, fixed-pitch propellers.

• READ MORE: MT Flight-Tests Propeller With 11 Blades On A Piper Cheyenne

MT said its props—30 models in all—are designed for traditional piston- and turbine-powered aircraft, ranging from motor gliders to regional airliners. They are also made for airships, hovercraft, and for use in wind tunnels.

MT holds more than 220 supplemental type certificates (STCs) and is an OEM supplier for more than 90 percent of the European aircraft industry and about 30 percent of the U.S. aircraft industry. The company said it has more than 28,000 propeller systems delivered, with more than 100,000 installations in service.

The post MT-Propeller Builds Composite Warbird Props for North American P-51, F-82 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The option joins McCauley props available on the B200, as well as B300 choices from Hartzell, MT Propeller, and others.

The 105-inch-diameter, four-blade aluminum, swept-blade prop system achieved type certification in July.

At a media briefing on Tuesday in Wichita, Kansas, the Textron Aviation team expressed its enthusiasm for McCauley’s achievement, likening it to the type certification of a new aircraft model for either of its aircraft brands, Cessna, Beechcraft, or Bell.

“The new McCauley C780 offers King Air customers increased performance, a quieter cabin, and greater efficiency,” Heidi McNary, vice president and general manager of McCauley Propeller Systems, said in a statement. “For 85 years, McCauley has been committed to delivering creative solutions and driving customers forward with their pioneering designs and strategies. We look forward to continuing to support the future of flight and legendary aircraft like the Beechcraft King Air.”

The first installation went on a King Air 350 owned by ExecuJet Charter Service in Florida, a private Part 135 charter operator. Interested owners can seek out the installation at Textron Aviation Service Centers or authorized McCauley service facilities.

Prop Stats

The C780 props for the King Air B300 include the following features and benefits, according to Textron Aviation:

• Propeller weight savings of more than 50 pounds 
• Increased takeoff and climb performance
• Reduced noise in the cabin and cockpit
• Extended time between overhauls (TBOs) of 5,000 hours or 72 months
• Textron Aviation’s 4,000 hours or 36-month limited propeller warranty

The King Air 360, which debuted in 2021, retained the four-blade Hartzell props from the 350. 

The post McCauley Celebrates Certification for King Air Props appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The Ohio-based company has received the supplemental type certificate for the Cessna 180 powered by Continental O-470-As of serial numbers 41,000 and higher.

The Voyager was previously approved for other Cessna 180/182/185/206 models powered by the Continental -520 and -550 engines.

The Voyager propeller features scimitar aluminum blades for optimal performance, including increased takeoff acceleration and exceptional climb rate, while offering the same or better cruise speeds. The prop is positioned specifically for backcountry aircraft.

The propeller can be obtained by contacting Hartzell Propeller or one of its recommended service facilities. The Voyager propeller is being sold as part of Hartzell’s Top Prop Performance Conversions line.

According to J.J. Frigge, president of Hartzell Propeller, the Voyager model was introduced in 2019 and its continued growth in popularity inspired the propeller manufacturer to seek more applications—and taking it to the backcountry was a natural fit.

“We are also excited to partner with the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) to offer its members a $1,000 discount on the regular price of Voyager props from now until the end of 2023,” Frigge said.

“The Voyager is a real tribute to Hartzell Propeller’s commitment to backcountry pilots,” said RAF’s chairman, John J. McKenna, Jr. “It shows that they are paying attention to what the market is looking for, they hear what we’re saying, and they understand. Hartzell really hit the nail on the head with this one. I’ve had a number of different propellers on my 185, and the Voyager has outperformed them in all quadrants. Not to mention, it’s a great looking propeller.”

Hartzell Helps Protect Backcountry Strips

When a member of the RAF organization buys the Voyager, Hartzell Propeller is making a $250 contribution directly to the RAF organization. The mission of the non-profit RAF is to preserve, maintain and create public-use recreational airstrips for backcountry access throughout the United States. The donation program is in place until the end of 2023.

Hartzell History

Hartzell Aviation was founded in 1917 and since then has expanded beyond propeller technology. The company’s flagship company is Hartzell Propeller, the global leader in advanced technology aircraft propeller design and manufacturing for business, commercial, and government customers. Hartzell designs next-generation propellers with innovative blended airfoil technology and manufactures them with revolutionary machining centers, robotics, and custom resin transfer molding curing stations.

The post Hartzell Voyager Propeller Approved for Cessna 180s appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

According to MT-Propeller, the new configuration reduces the maximum propeller rpm to 1,900. The configuration has already received certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). MT-Propeller president Gerd Muehlbauer boasts the following perks to the five-blade configuration:

• Improved erosion protection from bonded-on nickel alloy leading edges
• 6-8 ktas cruise performance improvement
• Improved ramp appeal
• Smaller prop diameter with increased ground clearance
• German noise regulation compliant

MT-Propeller states the composite blades have no life limitation and are repairable in the event of incidents involving foreign object debris (FOD).

“The high performance, lightweight and durable MT-Propellers can be used on aircraft with piston engines and propeller turbines, as well as on airships, wind tunnels, and hovercraft. MT-Propellers can be developed for nearly every aircraft type from motor gliders to regional airliners,” the company said in a statement.

This STC is just the latest of the company’s nearly 200 STCs worldwide. MT-Propeller also serves as the OEM supplier for more than 90 percent of the European aircraft industry, and 30 percent of the American aircraft industry.

The post New Five-Blade Propeller Gains FAA STC for Cessna 206 Series appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

If you’re like us, there’s at least one aircraft that you thank the aviation gods for.

As kind of a public service of sorts, we present aircrafts that our editorial staff is thankful for. Think of this slideshow as a kind of a conversation starter.

TBM 940

With an acknowledging pat on the glareshield, I’ve given thanks to so many airplanes over 35 years of flying, but the most recent object of my gratitude is the Daher TBM 940 that carried me, Margrit Waltz, and a couple hundred pounds of French and German holiday confections across the Atlantic Ocean in mid November. The Pratt & Whitney PT6A-66D turboprop on N940VF solidered over open water, glaciers, geothermal pots, and high-elevation tundra without missing a beat, while the airplane’s speed and capability to dance with crosswinds, headwinds, and tailwinds alike has secured her forever in my list of favorites.
— Julie Boatman, Editor-in-Chief

Airbus A340-300

I’m thankful for the mighty Airbus A340-300, because it was this airliner type that whisked me and my lovely bride away to our unforgettable honeymoon in Europe.
—Thom Patterson, Reporter

Bombardier Challenger 350

I’m thankful for the Challenger 350, the super midsize jet, which is a workhorse in business aviation, a delight to passengers, and a great corner office for pilots.
—Michael Wildes, Business Editor

C-130

When it comes to modern U.S. military transport, perhaps there’s no aircraft that’s more iconic than the C-130. For me personally, it’s an airplane that I always associate with a sense of gratitude because it represents safe passage into—and out of—potentially dramatic places.

In the summer of 2003, fellow war correspondent and friend Scott Wallace and I were in Baghdad working on separate assignments that had come to an end. We needed to get out of Iraq, and by a stroke of luck, secured two spots on a military flight headed to Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. Getting to the airport was tricky, however. On the day of our departure, we put on what body armor we had at the time and loaded our gear into the back of a soft-side Humvee belonging to U.S. soldiers. They had offered us a lift because they knew we needed to drive down the harrowing Route Irish—the then-infamous airport access road known then as the deadliest highway in the world.

In the backseat of the Humvee with the windows rolled down, I tried to hold off my fear of suicide bombers awaiting a soft military target through slow and steady breathing laced with silent prayers. By the time we climbed aboard the C-130, we were little more than a dozen miles away from our starting point, but it felt as if we had traversed a thousand. That trip for me would turn into the first of numerous journeys in and out of war zones for reporting assignments. All these years later, the memory of that moment of finally sitting down on the mesh seat still floods me with an overwhelming feeling of relief. 
—Kimberly Johnson, Military Writer

C-130

The C-130 is the unmatched workhorse of the U.S. Armed Forces. This aircraft is near and dear to my heart, due to the six years I spent turning wrenches on it. This photo was taken in Italy on the way back from our deployment to the Middle East. The photo at the top of this article is where my love for aircraft came to fruition. In Wichita Falls, Texas, I spent months learning the ins and outs of what it takes to make a airplane fly. It’s a very humbling situation to be responsible for every life on an aircraft without being the one to pilot it. My fellow airman and I were proud to have worked on such an amazing machine.
—Jeremy Kariuki, Reporter

SOFIA

I’m thankful for NASA’s flying observatory—a modified Boeing 747SP that’s equipped with a 2.5 meter, 17-ton infrared telescope. A space science partnership between NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) aircraft flies at an altitude of 39,000 to 45,000 feet — above 99 percent of the water vapor in Earth’s atmosphere — giving it a distinct advantage over ground-based telescopes.

I had the privilege of touring SOFIA and speaking with its research pilot and several of its esteemed crew in October 2017. It was stationed for a couple of days at Daytona International Airport (KDAB) for its first mission over the Atlantic Ocean. During that time, SOFIA captured the occultation, an eclipse-like event, of Triton, a moon orbiting the planet Neptune. The aircraft is a beautiful marriage of space science, aviation, and engineering, and contributes to the ongoing study and understanding of our universe. For example, it led to the discovery of the first type of molecule to form in space: helium hydride. 
—Sara Withrow, Copy Editor

Cessna Skyhawk

The Cessna Skyhawk, aka the C-172, is one of my favorite airplanes because it’s the airplane I have the most time teaching in. This is Michael Beasely (callsign “Helios” because he can “Roman ride” in the cockpit) on the day I soloed him in 2011. He’s holding an Exxon toy tiger tail because after I cut their shirt tails, as is tradition, I give the tiger tail to mark the event—they have tamed the tiger of flight—along with a callsign.
—Meg Godlewski, Reporter

Douglas DC-3

Not only did this aircraft have a long lasting impression on the commercial airline industry as a whole, but also on me. After taking my first discovery flight as a green pilot, I got the opportunity to explore a DC-3 and it solidified my growing love for aviation. That tour was one of the main reasons I pursued a degree and career in the aviation industry.
—Ashley Barajas, Reporter

ICON A5

“The PWC of the skies” has enabled me to create new adventures through the mountains, rivers, and lakes every time I go up. A flight in an ICON is an adventure for the most seasoned pilot or for the first-time passenger. The ICON has also given me the ability to create new experiences every time I take up one of my kids for a short afternoon journey.
—Craig Fuller, CEO  

The post Aircraft We’re Thankful For appeared first on FLYING Magazine.