Does Hartzell Propeller still manufacture wood propellers?
Hartzell made 2-, 3- and 4-blade wood propellers from walnut, oak, ash, maple, and spruce between 1917 and 1964. While major production of wood propellers ended in 1946, Hartzell continued to produce a few wood propellers for large engine test clubs and service requirements until our wood propeller type certificates were sold to Sensenich in 1964. How did Hartzell Propeller begin manufacturing all metal propellers? Hartzell initially manufactured metal blades for Hamilton-Standard and Curtiss during World War II. In response to customer requests, Hartzell designed and manufactured our first controllable aluminum-bladed propellers in 1948. Our first constant speed aluminum-bladed propeller was introduced in 1952.
