Hartzell earns first FAA certification for electric AAM propeller

BETA Technologies provided electric engines and test platforms across over four years of joint development and testing, culminating in the approval.

Hartzell Propeller has received FAA Part 35 Type Certification for a five-blade, carbon fibre, ground adjustable fixed pitch propeller designed specifically for advanced air mobility aircraft using electric propulsion. The company partnered with BETA Technologies to test and validate the propeller on BETA’s electric engines.

All testing was carried out using BETA’s ALIA VTOL and CTOL aircraft, which have flown coast-to-coast across the United States and more recently on a demonstration tour of Europe. BETA’s electric engines were used to prove the propeller’s performance under variable load conditions, including regenerative braking and startup.

The collaboration began in 2021 and spanned from aerodynamic modelling to final validation. The resulting propeller is designed to optimise safety, noise reduction and efficiency for electric aircraft. It is the first propeller to receive FAA type certification specifically for use with electric propulsion systems.

“Our design specifically for BETA Technologies is a five bladed, carbon fiber, ground adjustable fixed pitch propeller that will have future applications for the entire AAM industry,” says Hartzell president JJ Frigge.