When did Hartzell Propeller begin to manufacture composite bladed propellers?
In 1945 Hartzell developed the world s first composite propeller blade using a fabric-based plastic material, which was dubbed Hartzite. This blade construction was patented in 1949 and was used on the Republic Seabee. Hartzell reintroduced composite blades in 1978, this time using Kevlar , an advanced aramid fiber system for the CASA 212. Since that time Hartzell has been in continuous production of composite blades for various applications. I have a wood propeller with a “Liberty” decal. Did Hartzell Propeller Inc. make these? During World War I, Hartzell began manufacturing propellers for use on Liberty engines and these were originally named “The Liberty Propeller, manufactured by the Hartzell Walnut Propeller Company”. In 1918, Hartzell received an order for 1000 Liberty propellers at $800 each from the U.S. Navy.
