Owners of diesel-powered Diamond DA40 NG singles have a new option when it comes to a propeller/engine combination as Hartzell Propeller has received a supplemental type certificate (STC) from the FAA to replace the standard Diamond DA40 NG MT wood/composite propeller with the new and higher performance three-bladed lightweight Polaris composite propeller.
The Polaris is a 74-inch diameter, three-blade ASCII carbon fiber prop for the Austro Engine E4-A. It features a lightweight Bantam aluminum hub and 2,400-hour/six-year TBO, with Hartzell’s warranty through first overhaul.
The STC is limited to DA40 NGs equipped with MÄM 40-434, the cowling redesign, or the OÄM 40-310 with the exhaust system with muffler.
“Hartzell’s Top Prop performance conversion kit includes the propeller, a white or metallic silver composite spinner, and STC documentation,” said Hartzell Propeller president JJ Frigge. “It delivers light, smooth, and state-of-the-art improved climb performance, two to three ktas faster cruise and is more durable with an eco-friendly 74.1 dB(a) noise level.”
“The 3-blade Hartzell carbon fiber composite propeller STC’d onto the Diamond DA40 NG is a custom designed airfoil utilizing our Bantam retention system, which is our lightest weight hub series,” he said.
Finding the best combination of propeller and aircraft engine is a precise art, says Frigge,
“Which is why we went with this extremely lightweight but durable Polaris propeller that enhances performance for the DA40 NG.”
Hartzell already has an STC for a two-blade carbon fiber composite propeller on the DA40 with the Lycoming engine, which is the preferred option for many Diamond customers. That prop is installed directly on the production line by Diamond via the Hartzell STC.
Frigge adds that Hartzell has indeed installed propellers on other diesel applications, including the Cessna 172 with the Continental diesel engine, and it has several other propellers in development with diesel engine manufacturers and airframes utilizing diesel technology.
The STC kit for the advanced blended airfoil design prop sells for $24,613.
