Press Releases

PIQUA, Ohio — February 3, 1994 — Hartzell has been selected to supply its new three-blade scimitar propeller for a full-range of converted Cessna utility aircraft including the 185, 188, 206, 207 and 210. The propeller conversion is made in conjunction with an engine upgrade to the IO-550 from original IO-520s.

Hartzell’s new scimitar blade design features swept leading edges that provide a distinctive look to the prop. The company’s experience with swept blade design goes back nearly 15 years to its work on Bill Lear’s Learfan. This propeller featured radically swept Hartzell blades driven by two turbine engines. The scimitar propeller system features aluminum blades and hub and is a member of Hartzell’s growing range of new generation lightweight, compact propellers.

This prop was specifically designed to optimize low speed thrust for maximum take-off and climb performance. This kind of performance is crucial for the typical flight profiles of Cessna 185, 188, 206, 207 and 210 operators.

The new propeller/engine combination can help a converted 206 get off the ground at full gross in about 750 feet, compared to the older (IO-520) version’s 970 feet. This 30 percent reduction in take-off distance is also very important to 185 pilots operating on floats. Other, specific improvements include significant reductions in noise and vibration levels, improved aircraft stability, higher cruise speeds, and reduced fuel burn.

Hartzell Propeller Inc. is the world’s leading manufacturer of propeller systems, enjoying an 85 percent market share on corporate turboprops and a 60 percent share on turboprop airliners. The 76-year-old company is also well-known for its design leadership having introduced the industry’s first full-feathering propellers for light twins, the first fully-reversing propellers for corporate turboprops, and the industry’s first composite structure blades.

Utility/Cargo Aircraft with Hartzell Propellers:

Basler Douglas Turbo DC-3
Cessna Caravan
Beech 18
Dornier 228
GAF Nomad
Piaggio P.166
Catic Y12
Casa 212
Conair Grumman Turbo S2

Pilatus PC6 Turbo Porter
Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2 Turbine Islander
Pilatus Britten-Norman Trislander
Dornier 27
deHavilland Twin Otter
Siai Marchetti SF600TP
Shorts Skyvan
IAI Arava
PZL Wilga