China Approves Hartzell Propellers for Several Aircraft

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) today granted type certification for Hartzell Propeller props installed on the powerplant of Textron’s Beech King Air 200, as well as on the Daher-Socata TBM series of turboprop singles and Piaggio’s new Avanti Evo model. The U.S. company announced the approval at the Airshow China show in Zhuhai, where it is exhibiting in the U.S. Pavilion.

The CAAC type certificates cover the following programs: the aluminum four-blade propeller developed for retrofit by Raisbeck Engineering for the King Air 200; the new five-blade propeller that is part of wider powerplant changes introduced by Piaggio for the Avanti Evo pusherprop; and the five-blade propeller developed for the new TBM900, which is also available for retrofit on the TBM700 and TBM850 models.

“Hartzell Propeller’s ongoing efforts in China are focused on working with aircraft manufacturers and the CAAC for advance approvals for propeller aircraft that are certified for operation in this country,” said Weiqing Wang, Hartzell’s Shanghai-based managing director for China. “We want to express our appreciation for the professionalism exhibited by CAAC representatives during this process.”

Hartzell has established a new validation department to work with CAAC and other airworthiness authorities worldwide.