Hartzell Propeller has received FAA Part 35 Type Certification for the first propeller designed specifically for advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft.
The company worked with aerospace company BETA Technologies to achieve this milestone, conducting all testing of its propeller on BETA’s proprietary electric propulsion systems (electric engines), which are designed and manufactured in-house by BETA, according to Hartzell officials.
The approval comes after thousands of hours of ground and flight testing over four years, and verifies that the propeller exceeds the rigorous performance and safety standards of FAA Part 35, company officials added.
With this certification, Hartzell’s propeller is the first to earn FAA type certification specifically for integration with electric propulsion systems. These systems are capable of managing a wide range of different loads and conditions — from regenerative braking to startup — all of which Hartzell’s propellers are designed to support, officials added.
Hartzell and BETA have worked on developing the propeller since 2021, from initial aerodynamic modeling and design to full-scale testing and validation. The result is a five bladed, carbon fiber, ground adjustable fixed pitch propeller propeller tailored specifically for electric engines.
BETA has been flying its ALIA CTOL and ALIA VTOL aircraft with Hartzell’s propellers for more than four years — including completing the industry’s first crewed transition of an eVTOL, and several long-range flights, including a coast-to-coast trip across the U.S., and a tour of Europe.
The propeller is also built to serve all AAM aircraft that utilize similar electric propulsion systems, Hartzell officials noted.
For more information: HartzellProp.com, BETA.team
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