An Italian company is bringing back an iconic British propeller, the Fairey-Reed propeller, for the deHavilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk.
Now undergoing production for the U.S. market, the original all-metal fixed-pitch propeller has been reproduced by GT-Propellers of Italy in a wood composite with metal leading-edge protection.
“The hardest challenge to solve was the metal hub,” company officials said. “We designed this to feature various ground pitch adjustment positions so that Chipmunk operators can select the optimum pitch setting for their particular mission. This method is widely used in propellers we currently produce and offers huge advantages over the OEM prop.”
The GT blades are designed following the original Fairey-Reed drawings, resulting in a “100% authentic look,” according to company officials.
GT-Propellers was founded in 1969 by brothers Gian Carlo and Felice Tonini. The brothers’ early commissions were the repair and manufacture of replacement propellers for the first German-powered gliders and American early experimental aircraft.
Their father, Domenico Tonini, born in 1903, was a professional violin maker. During World War II, he was approached by German and later by Allied forces to lend his woodworking skills to the repair of wooden propellers, which were mounted on the likes of Fieseler Fi 156 Storch, Piper J-3 Cub, L-4 Grasshopper, and other aircraft. He passed on his knowledge to his two sons. The company is now run by Gian Carlo and his two sons, Alessandro and Paolo.
For more information: Facebook.com/GtProp