Hartzell Propeller is an American manufacturer that was founded in 1917 by

Robert N. Hartzell Robert Norris Hartzell (born June 3, 1896 in Ohio, died December 11, 1968) was an American entrepreneur who started Hartzell Propeller in 1917, a company that produces aircraft propellers. Life and work Background Romert N. Hartzell studied to b ...

as the Hartzell Walnut Propeller Company. It produces

composite Composite or compositing may refer to: Materials * Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances ** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts ** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic materials ...

and aluminum

propellers A propeller (colloquially often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon ...

for

certified Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...

, homebuilt, and ultralight aircraft. The company is headquartered in Piqua, Ohio.Purdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook'', page 84. BAI Communications. Hartzell also produces spinners, governors,

ice protection systems In aeronautics, ice protection systems keep atmospheric moisture from accumulating on aircraft surfaces, such as wings, propellers, rotor blades, engine intakes, and environmental control intakes. Ice buildup can change the shape of airfoils ...

, and other propeller controls.

History

Robert Hartzell grew up in the village of Oakwood, Ohio, just a block from Hawthorn Hill, where Orville Wright lived. From the 1890s until the late 1910s, Hartzell's father and grandfather operated a sawmill and lumber supply company in Greenville, Ohio (later moved to Piqua, Ohio) that also manufactured items such as wagons and gun stocks for

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. On the side, Robert owned a small airplane and did maintenance on it as a young man. In 1917, Orville Wright suggested that Hartzell use his walnut trees to manufacture an aircraft propeller for his plane and others. Robert Hartzell founded the Hartzell Walnut Propeller Company in Piqua that year, and the company provided "Liberty" aircraft propellers for World War I warplanes. After the war, Hartzell Propeller built its own airplanes, including the FC-1 (the first aircraft made entirely of plywood).Keisel, Ken: ''Dayton Aviation: The Wright Brothers to McCook Field'', page 126. Arcadia Publishing. The FC-1 took first place in the Flying Club of St. Louis Trophy Race at the 1923 International Air Meet. An alteration to the wings resulted in the improved FC-2 model, which won competing over aircraft from the

Waco Aircraft Company The Waco Aircraft Company (WACO) was an aircraft manufacturer located in Troy, Ohio, United States. Between 1920 and 1947, the company produced a wide range of civilian biplanes. The company initially started under the name Weaver Aircraft C ...

and the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company at the 1924 International Air Races in

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, Ohio, Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County, Ohio, Greene County. The 2020 United S ...

. Hartzell stopped producing aircraft to avoid competing with its own propeller customers. In 1926, Hartzell began building propellers for the Aeronca C-2. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

the company produced metal propellers for Hamilton-Standard. After the war, Hartzell produced the first composite propellers for the Republic RC-3 Seabee. Hartzell began making aluminum propellers in 1948 and developed the first full-feathering propellers for a light twin-engine aircraft in the 1950s. These were used in the

Aero Commander Aero Commander was an aircraft manufacturer formed in 1944. In subsequent years, it became a subsidiary of Rockwell International and Gulfstream Aerospace. The company ceased aircraft production in 1986. History Aero was formed in Culver City, C ...

Piper Apache The Piper PA-23, named Apache and later Aztec, is an American four- to six-seat twin-engined light aircraft aimed at the general-aviation market. The United States Navy and military forces in other countries also used it in small numbers. Origin ...

Cessna 310 The Cessna 310 is an American four-to-six-seat, low-wing, twin-engine monoplane produced by Cessna between 1954 and 1980. It was the first twin-engine aircraft that Cessna put into production after World War II. Development The 310 first fl ...

, and Beech Twin Bonanza.Janet R. Daly Bednarek, Michael H. Bednarek: ''Dreams of Flight: General Aviation in the United States'', page 142-143. Texas A&M University Press. Hartzell introduced a turboprop propeller in 1961 and, in 1975,

a 5-bladed propeller for the Shorts 330. In 1978, the company produced a composite

aramid Aramid fibers, short for aromatic polyamide, are a class of heat-resistant and strong synthetic fibers. They are used in aerospace and military applications, for ballistic-rated body armor fabric and ballistic composites, in marine cordage, mar ...

fiber propeller for the

CASA 212 The CASA C-212 Aviocar is a turboprop-powered STOL medium cargo aircraft designed and built by the Spanish aircraft manufacturer Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA). It is designed for use by both civil and military operators. The C-212 ...

. In 1989, Hartzell produced sixteen-foot propellers for the Boeing Condor, another record-breaking aircraft. Hartzell introduced "Top-Prop" replacement propellers for piston-engine aircraft, in 1991, and sold 20,000 Top-Prop conversion kits from 1991 to 2013. In 1994, the company held the first ''Friends of Hartzell Air Show'' in Piqua, Ohio. for which Hartzell developed its first aerobatic system. In 2013, the Red Bull Air Race World Championship chose Hartzell to provide 3-blade composite propellers, carbon-fiber composite spinners, and governors to race teams. In 2006, the FAA granted Hartzell the first certification for an Advanced Structural Composite (ASC II) propeller for general aviation. In July 2021, Hartzell Propeller purchased the assets of Tanis Aircraft Products, a company that makes aircraft engine pre-heat systems. Tanis President and CEO Douglas Evink became Hartzell Propeller's vice president of sales for the new Tanis business unit, and the Tanis operations remained near Anoka County Airport, outside Minneapolis, Minnesota.

References

External links

*{{Official website, http://www.hartzellprop.com/ Aerospace companies of the United States Aircraft propeller manufacturers Manufacturing companies based in Ohio Manufacturing companies established in 1917

History

See also

References

External links