Propeller manufacturer McCauley is showcasing a composite propeller with an unlimited life at Sun 'n' Fun in Lakeland, Florida.
The Blackmac Carbon Series constant-speed prop is clean-sheet, scalable design that is expected to be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration in this quarter of 2014.
Manufactured from advanced composite materials, the Blackmac features a high-strength, low-weight continuous carbon loop blade retention system, which significantly reduces weight and improves product life.
“The Blackmac Carbon is the next step in propeller evolution,” said Scott Howell, McCauley business leader. “This new propeller is the lightest in its class. No other certified propeller rated at 350 hp, wood or composite, weighs less.
"The Blackmac Carbon series retains McCauley’s widely popular and proven single-piece oil-filled hub and has 25 percent fewer parts than comparable aluminum propellers.”
The scimitar propeller blades are made of seamless carbon fibre and fibreglass material and feature electro-formed nickel leading edges providing a stronger, more durable and impact-resistant blades.
The Blackmac Carbon Series is certified for unlimited life and an overhaul interval of 2400 hours or six years.
McCauley Propellers is now a division of the newly-formed Textron Aviation.