Photo above – Texas Turbine Conversions President Bobby Bishop
Texas Turbine Conversions, working with Hartzell Propeller, has FAA approval to allow Supervan conversion customers to choose either structural composite props or more economical aluminum props as part of their conversion package.
“Now Cessna Caravan owners and operators with the Supervan turboprop conversion can choose between a 110-inch diameter structural composite prop, or the more economical 109.5 diameter aluminum option. Both propellers are four-blade and offer a 60 pound or 25 pound weight savings, respectively, over the original Supervan propeller,” said Hartzell Propeller President JJ Frigge. “And they both can get Hartzell Propeller’s six–year, 4,000 hours TBO,” he added.
“Hartzell has provided outstanding support for our engine-conversion program and our customers by developing both aluminum and composite propellers designed to maximize the performance of the Supervan conversion,” said Texas Turbine Conversions President Bobby Bishop. “The result is a true 200+ knot airplane, with a 40 percent reduction in takeoff roll and a substantially greater rate of climb.”
The combination of the Honeywell 950 shaft horsepower TPE331 engines and the Hartzell propellers further distances the Supervan-modified 208 and 208B Caravans from other Caravans available on the market. Both the composite and aluminum propellers were designed specifically for the Honeywell engine by Hartzell’s engineering team.
Hartzell Propeller is the global leader in advanced technology aircraft propeller design and manufacturing for business, commercial and government customers. The company designs next generation propellers with innovative blended airfoil technology and manufactures them with revolutionary machining centers, robotics and custom resin transfer molding curing stations.
Hartzell Propeller and sister companies, Hartzell Engine Technologies LLC, Quality Aircraft Accessories, and AWI-AMI (Aerospace Welding Minneapolis, Inc., and Aerospace Manufacturing, Inc.) form the general aviation business unit of Tailwind Technologies Inc. For more info on Hartzell Propeller, go to www.hartzellprop.com.
