Hartzell announced it has achieved supplemental type certificate approval for a propeller called the Trailblazer for the tailwheel-equipped backcountry Husky, produced by Aviat Aircraft in Afton, Wyoming. The composite swept-tip Trailblazer prop was introduced earlier this year and is available in two- and three-blade versions. The Husky uses the two-blade, 80-inch version of the Trailblazer to replace the 76-inch aluminum propeller that comes standard with the Husky.
Testing has shown the Trailblazer improves the Husky's climb performance by more than 10 percent and reduces the takeoff distance at max gross weight by 12 percent compared with the Hartzell aluminum propeller that comes standard with the airplane.
The two-blade Trailblazer is available in 76-, 80- and 82-inch diameters and is compatible with most Lycoming 360 and 390 series of engines without restrictions, Hartzell said. The three-blade version, which is designed for engines that produce more horsepower, comes in 80-, 82- and 85 inch diameters.
The Trailblazer series was designed with the high demands of backcountry operations in mind. The prop is constructed with high-strength carbon fiber materials with a mesh erosion shield and a nickel-cobalt leading edge that can be replaced in the field in case of damage.
Hartzell introduced the Trailblazer in an experimental Glasair Sportsman owned by Hartzell's president Joe Brown. "The takeoff acceleration and climb performance of the new Trailblazer prop gives me the added performance I want for backcountry flying," Brown said.
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