Trailblazer aircraft propeller offering

The Trailblazer carbon fibre composite propeller from Hartzell Propeller is a two-blade fixed-diameter constant-speed aircraft propeller for amateur-built aircraft with selected Lycoming engines. It converts shaft power into thrust through two composite blades mounted on an aluminium hub, and it is part of Hartzell's offering for homebuilt and kit-built aeroplanes.

The blade, designated 8301, was designed for low-speed thrust, take-off and climb performance. For an integrator this means the propeller is optimised for the part of the flight envelope where a homebuilt airframe needs short ground runs and a good rate of climb, rather than for high cruise speed. The blades use a composite construction, which keeps rotating mass low and gives smoother idle behaviour than a comparable metal propeller, according to the maker.

Four diameters are offered, all in the same standard hub configuration: 83 inches (item HC-C2YR-1N/NG8301), 80 inches (NG8301-3), 78 inches (NG8301-5) and 76 inches (NG8301-7). Several diameters let the builder match tip clearance and ground clearance to the airframe. The propeller itself weighs 43.0 pounds and the specified time between overhaul is 2,400 hours or six years.

Engine compatibility is limited to specific installations and the maker states that the propeller was tested by an FAA designee for vibration compatibility. It is listed for Lycoming (I)O-360 engines rated 180 HP at 2700 RPM without crankshaft counterweights, with a compression ratio of 8.5:1 or less (not the 76-inch diameter), for (I)O-360 engines of 180 or 200 HP with counterweights and a compression ratio of 8.9:1 or less, and for the IO-390-A3 rated 210 HP at 2700 RPM. It can be used with counterweighted and non-counterweighted crankshafts. The maker states that the propeller has no restricted RPM range.

Kits do not include a spinner assembly or a spinner mounting kit, so these must be sourced separately. Models are available by special order only, and requests go through Hartzell's sales contact. The propeller suits piston-engine kit aeroplanes rather than electric or turbine eVTOL installations, so it is relevant to this directory mainly for fixed-wing light aircraft and test-bed airframes.