With minimal fanfare, composite propellers have been appearing as original equipment on more and more airplanes and more and more owners are finding that they are an option for their airplanes when it comes time for an overhaul or replacement. Composite props are more expensive than their aluminum counterparts, so we were curious why owners are shelling out the extra bucks—what’s the attraction and what’s out there to buy?
First of all, what is a composite prop? At its most basic, it’s a prop that has blades at least partially made of layers of epoxy fiberglass, Kevlar or carbon fiber. The composite material is on top of a core that is either hollow (rare) or made of foam or wood. The base or ferrule of a constant speed prop is usually aluminum or steel and fits into a hub that may be identical to that of a prop with aluminum blades. A fixed pitch composite propeller may have no metal in it at all.