Hartzell Propeller has announced it has secured the first Part 35 type certification from the FAA for a prop specifically engineered for electric and advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft.
In revealing the news Monday, Hartzell said the achievement positions the manufacturer to be a pioneer in the burgeoning AAM market.
The certified five-bladed, carbon-fiber propeller was developed in collaboration with Beta Technologies. Hartzell said it underwent extensive ground and flight testing, accumulating thousands of hours on Beta’s proprietary electric propulsion systems.
For the past four years, Beta has incorporated Hartzell’s propellers into its Alia CX300 and Alia 250 eVTOL, which have both successfully completed a cross-country journey and a European tour.
While Beta plans to integrate the new propeller into its certification efforts for both aircraft, Hartzell emphasized that it’s versatile enough for use across various AAM aircraft employing similar electric-propulsion systems.
Hartzell, a Piqua, Ohio-based manufacturer with over a century of leadership in propeller technology, entered the AAM arena in 2018 through a partnership with Eviation to develop its Alice electric commuter airplane. The newly certified propeller is designed to offer high performance and low noise, optimized for electric engines.
The FAA’s endorsement of both Hartzell’s propeller and Beta’s electric engines could pave the way for further innovation and adoption in the AAM industry.
The latest certification also underscores a particularly active period for Hartzell, marking its second significant FAA approval in less than a month. In June, it announced receiving agency consent for a supplemental type certificate (STC) for a two-blade, carbon-fiber composite propeller designed for the Mooney M20 series.
Dubbed the “Outlaw,” this represents Hartzell’s second STC for the Mooney M20 series in three years, following a three-bladed aluminum propeller certified in June 2022.
The Outlaw name itself was a product of last year’s EAA AirVenture, where over 300 aviation community members voted for their favorite name from a short list of finalists. Donna Jones, vice president of Davis Aviation, submitted the winning name, earning her $500 in Hartzell merchandise.
Jon Stoy, Hartzell’s vice president of sales and marketing, said “Outlaw” perfectly captured the “freedom Mooney pilots feel in flight.”
Hartzel said these back-to-back certifications highlight its ongoing commitment to innovation across both traditional and emerging aviation markets.
