Press Releases

New Prop Reduces Operating Costs.

Hartzell Propeller has announced that a new 3-bladed Top Prop propeller conversion kit is available for the Cessna 208, 208A Caravan and the 208B Grand Caravan. The FAA approved STC covers operations by both landplanes and seaplanes.

PIQUA, Ohio – March 20, 2002 — Hartzell Propeller has announced that a new 3-bladed Top Prop propeller conversion kit is available for the Cessna 208, 208A Caravan and the 208B Grand Caravan. The FAA approved STC covers operations by both landplanes and seaplanes.

The new feathering and reversing propeller is 106 inches in diameter and features three newly designed aluminum blades with wide-chord, high-camber airfoils. This new blade was custom designed for utility aircraft applications. The design provides excellent low-speed thrust while maintaining cruise performance. The propeller also features Hartzell’s steel hub system which many Caravan operators will be familiar with as this system served them well when it was used on the original Hartzell composite-bladed Caravan prop. The entire propeller was specifically engineered to reduce overall operating costs which was accomplished in a variety of ways:

· Low acquisition cost – With a list price of $18,500 without de-ice or $19,900 including de-ice, the new Hartzell is the lowest cost Caravan propeller available.
· Wide-chord blades – the propeller system features wide-chord blades that were specifically tested to allow the greatest reparability of any Caravan prop on the market. As a result… operators can expect an extended service life, particularly for those operating in and out of unimproved runways or on floats.
· Simplified installation – The Top Prop kit was designed so there are no de-ice timer, ammeter, wiring or circuit breaker changes required for installation.
· Steel hub system – this hub design allows blades to be easily removed for reduced shipping costs.

The Top Prop kit for the Caravan includes the three-bladed propeller, a polished spinner, STC documentation and an extended 3-year/1000 hour warranty.

Hartzell Propeller Inc. is the world’s leading manufacturer of propeller systems, well known for its advanced engineering and manufacturing capabilities. The company is rich in aviation heritage, tracing its beginnings to relationships with Orville Wright and Glenn Curtiss. Significant technical innovations include the industry’s first full-feathering propeller for light twins, the first fully reversing propellers for corporate turboprops and the industry’s first composite structure blades. Hartzell has also participated as the exclusive propeller partner for NASA’S General Aviation Propulsion (GAP) program – developing the next generation of general aviation propulsion systems. For more information on Hartzell, visit the Web at www.hartzellprop.com or fax your request to Hartzell at (937) 778-4321.

For more information about the Cessna Caravan propeller conversion kit or any other Top Prop performance conversion, visit the Top Prop section of the Hartzell Web site at www.hartzellprop.com, or call toll free (800) 942-7767 or (937) 778-5726. Fax your request to Hartzell at (937) 778-4215 or email topprop@hartzellprop.com.