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German company tests the world's first 11-bladed propeller. The aircraft used was the Piper PA31T1, equipped with Pratt & Whitney PT6A-135A turbines.
According to the developer MT-Propeller in a press release, the world's first 11-blade propeller successfully performed its first test flight, marking yet another breakthrough for the developer who had already made five-, seven- and nine-blade propellers. The equipment is used to convert the rotational energy of the engine into a propulsive force or thrust.
11-blade propeller tests on an aircraft
The thrust produced by the propeller is proportional to the blade area, while the number of blades determines the thrust pulses the aircraft produces for each revolution of the propeller. MT-Propeller, founded in 1981 by Gerd Muhlbauer, has over 27 certified propeller designs to its credit, which can be combined with over 220 aerodynamic blades.
The company claims that it supplies propellers for more than 90% of the aircraft manufactured in Europe that use a piston or turbine engine. In September of this year, MT-Propeller tested its 11-blade propeller design on the Piper PA31T1 model, equipped with Pratt & Whitney PT6A-135A turbines. The first flight took to the skies with an impressive noise and sound signature, according to the company in its statement.
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The small, twin-engined aircraft took to the skies as if a jet was taking off. The propeller design team claims there was a 15% increase in static thrust with the new propeller compared to 5-bladed propellers manufactured by the same company.
The developers estimate that the propeller system, alongside a low-speed power supply, can unlock new possibilities for performance, noise and efficiency. The low-speed power source can be a turbine or even a electric motor.
MT-Propellers is responsible for several innovations in the aviation industry
The company has a long history of developing the world's first multi-blade propellers. Almost 20 years ago, the Atting, Germany-based manufacturer received certification for its 5-blade propeller with reversing capability.
The company's turbine-driven composite propeller powers the Pilatus PC12, the fastest on a single-engine production aircraft. MT 5-blade propellers have lower vibration and noise levels and have quickly become the aviation industry standard.
These are used in an extensive list of aircraft such as Cessna 425 Series, Piper Cheyenne PA 42-1000, Piper Cheyenne PA31T and T1 and Cessna 208 Caravan.
In 2016, the company completed the first flight of the world's first seven-blade propellers on a General Aviation aircraft. The design was extensively tested and certified in 2020. As early as 2019, the company began the testing program for the world's first nine-bladed propeller, which has shown promise in the development of future low-noise, high-performance aircraft.
The aircraft is also expected to provide savings in fuel consumption when compared to jet engines. With such a rich history of world stars, it is expected that the MT-Propeller will also provide interesting results with its 11 blade propeller.
Get to know MT-Propeller
MT-Propeller operates from its main office at Straubing-Wall Muehle Airport (EDMS), Germany, where highly skilled people are developing the highest quality natural composite propellers. For US and Canadian customers, the company has an MT-Propeller Service Center in DeLand, Florida and numerous authorized service stations worldwide.
