MT-Propeller recently flight-tested what it said is a world’s first: an 11-blade propeller. Mounted to the right-hand Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-135A turboprop engine on a Piper PA-31T Cheyenne, the initial flight test this fall showed “very promising results,” according to the Germany-headquartered OEM.
Those results included a 15 percent increase in static thrust over a standard, certified five-blade propeller. “This propeller system combined with a low RPM power supply from a turbine or an electric engine opens new possibilities for performance, efficiency, and noise,” the company said.
It’s not clear if or when MT might pursue a supplemental type certificate for the propeller. In 2019, the company also flight-tested a nine-blade prop on the Cheyenne, which MT said can help a propeller-driven airplane reach speeds of up to 430 knots—depending on design—while reducing fuel consumption.