ISAACS FURY

Check out the latest edition of the UK magazine 'Flyer'.  There is a feature on Paul Catanach's Isaacs Fury, now sporting a Hercules Propeller, specifically designed for his engine and airframe combination.  Paul tells us that it performs better in take off, climb and cruise since fitting the Hercules Propeller.

Flyer Magazine's site is here: www.flyer.co.uk

ORIGINAL LANG LA604

Much favoured and sought after by Tiger Moth owners, the Lang LA604 was a great performing and good-looking replacement to the factory fitted de Havilland propellers.

There are very few airworthy examples of these propellers left in existence.  We have obtained one of these propellers and are currently manufacturing a reproduction of the propeller, which will become available to owners wanting that added bit of originality, as an alternative to our own design for the Tiger.

This is our propeller technician George Simoni analysing the '604 using our purpose built Co-ordinate Measuring Machine.

VAGABOND PROPELLER

Just finished and ready for dispatch to our customer in the UK, a wood propeller designed for a Continental C90 powered Piper Vagabond.

We have made several of this design in the past and our customers report startling cruise and climb performance.  And of course, Hercules Propellers have become famous for low vibration and smoothness when running.

Every Hercules Propeller is made to order.  This one has been finished in traditional American colour to suit the intended aeroplane

SOPWITH PUP PROPELLER

Just arrived at Hercules Propellers, a very beautiful original Sopwith Pup propeller.

This huge propeller measured 102" diameter and was manufactured by Frederick Sage & Co. Ltd during the First World War.  Frederick Sage was a shop fitting company that turned to aircraft production to help with the war effort.

This beautiful wood propeller is on loan to us from a museum so that we can produce a reproduction propeller for a replica Sopwith Pup, currently under construction.

MOTHS AT WOBURN

Hercules Propellers will have a stand at Woburn in August with many propellers to see.

Hope to see you there.

SPITFIRE MK26A

Spotted somewhere in Scotland, a MK26A Spitfire.  This example is powered by a 8-cylinder Jabiru engine and is performing well with it's purpose designed and made Hercules propeller.

LITTLE FOKKER

Test flown on the same day that the customer received it, here are some pictures of a wooden propeller that we designed and manufactured for a Grass Strip Aviation Fokker Eindecker.

This propeller demonstrates our adaptability and ability to design and manufacture truly bespoke propellers for unique aircraft and engine combinations.

This particular aircraft is fitted with a 30 hp Briggs and Stratton engine fitted with a 2.2:1 reduction drive.

We designed this propeller to match the engine HP, RPM, expected performance, airframe characteristics and to look like a propeller form the WW1 era.

Our customer tells us that he thinks the propeller is a work of art and just as importantly, it really does perform well.

The Grass Strip Aviation Eindecker is becoming very popular and loved by all who has flown one.

See Grass Strip's site: http://www.grass-strip-aviation.com  And blog: http://grass-strip-aviation.blogspot.co.uk

SENSENICH OVERHAUL

Sensenich Overhaul

Fresh out of our finishing shop, a very nice Sensenich propeller from a Lycoming IO360 powered Skybolt.  Hercules have inspected, refinished and balanced this propeller, which has been given a new lease of life and is now good for many more years of service.

RYAN ST-A

Just in from France, a picture of the wood propeller that Hercules designed and manufactured for a Ryan ST-A.  The flight performance report is very positive indeed, the propeller gives another 10 knots in the cruise without loss of climb performance.  Another very successful propeller form Hercules!

PIETENPOL AIRCAMPER

Graham Hewitt has just sent these pictures of his very beautiful Pietenpol Air Camper with a Continental O-200 engine, following a recent air-to-air shoot.

Hercues Propellers designed and manufactured the wooden propeller fitted to this Australian based aircraft.

ANOTHER TWISTER

Spotted and photographed, another Silence Twister sporting a Hercules propeller.

Hercules seem to be the choice propeller for Silence Twister owners with either Jabiru or UL engines.

So not just vintage bi-plane props, Hercules design and manufacture excellent propellers for modern high performance aircraft too.

USED VINTAGE PROPS

A nice picture of a stack of well used vintage wooden propellers at the hercules factory, here for producing reproductions for our customer's aircraft restorations and replicas.

See our innovative reproduction methods on our website here: http://www.hercprops.com/reproductionpropellers.html

RENEGADE SPIRIT

Just finished and dispatched from the Hercules factory, a propeller we designed for a Jabiru 3300 powered Renegade Spirit Bi-pane, destined for Belgium.

We send our wooden propellers to all corners of the globe.  We are working on a Tiger Moth propeller at the moment, destined for Australia.

BUGATTI 100P

Just in from Oklahoma, two new pictures of amazing the Bugatti 100P project showing the propellers fitted.  The propellers were manufactured in the UK by Hercules.

If you are not already, follow this very exciting project on Facebook, it is going to be the great aviation event of the year when this machine flies.  Remember, the one-off original from 1939 which is now in the EAA museum never flew!

Check out http://www.facebook.com/TheBugatti100pProject

RYAN ST-A

Recently finished and dispatched to France, a wooden propeller which we have designed and manufactured for a Gipsy Major powered Ryan ST-A.  A unique propeller for a unique aircraft.

The paint on the tips has been specially mixed to exactly match the trim colour on the aircraft - an extra service offered by Hercules.

NEW WOODEN PROPELLER FOR WESTLAND WIDGEON

Regular followers of our blog will know that we have need working on a project to create a reproduction of a Westland Widgeon propeller, working from original drawings.

The propeller is now finished and ready for dispatch.

Below are pictures showing the process of making this large splendid propeller.

Finished propeller

Propeller on the balancing rig

CNC machining complete

CNC finishing cut - second side

3D CAD model created from original drawings

Original drawings supplied to us by our customer

Westland Widgeon

LATEST UK PRESS ADVERTISMENT

RYAN ST-A

Another unique propeller designed by Hercules is currently under construction for a unique Ryan ST-A.

Originally powered by a Menasco engine, this example has been re-engined with a de Havilland Gipsy  Major 1 engine, giving it a little more power and greater spares availability than the original Menasco engine.

This propeller design has been created by us to optimise the performance of this unusual yet very beautiful airframe and engine combination.

Below is a picture of the propeller in our CNC machine, a picture of the new propeller ready for varnishing and a picture of a Ryan ST-A, similar to the one we are producing the propeller for.

SILENCE TWISTER AIR DISPLAY

Adrian Hatton performed a stunning display in his Silence Twister at Old Warden on Sunday 19th May.  Starting with an avalanche (flick roll from the top of a loop) Adrian demonstrated very well the efficiency and manoeuvrability of this immaculate Jabiru 2200 kit-built aircraft.

This is the second season that Hercules Propellers have supported Twister Air Displays.  Adrian enjoys the extra performance that his purpose designed Hercules Propeller delivers.

Find out more about Twister Air Displays here : http://twisterairdisplays.co.uk/

POLIKARPOV Po-2 WITH NEW HERCULES PROPELLER

The Shuttleworth collection's Polikarpov Po-2 was seen flying at Old Warden on Sunday 19th May.  This really is a big machine, dwarfing the Tiger Moth it was parked next to.  The 5 cylinder radial engine gave out a wonderful slow and deep beat as the aircraft flew around before the main display started.

Hercules manufactured the propeller - a reproduction of the original and the pilot reported it to be performing just as expected.

NEW YORK TIGER MOTH PROPELLER FLIES!

We have just received a flight test report from Wim Stapel who has fitted and flown his new Tiger Moth propeller.

This is what Wim wrote in his email to us:

At last after a couple of day's flying with the new propeller feedback -
Propeller arrived perfect and the day after arrival it was put on our Tiger.

Starting up was already a great difference as the engine run real smooth with the new propeller, the noise seemed to be also less.
After test running it and flying it for an hour we retorqued it and made an other 5 hours (now with the perfect stable weather) and it is a joy to fly.  Performance and smoothness of operation is great and we are real happy with it.  You can be proud on the nice job done,
many thanks.

Picture below of the Tiger with it's new Hercules propeller fitted.

NEW FLITZER PROPELLER FLIES

Sunday morning - the new Flitzer Hercules wooden propeller has been fitted and test flown.  The propeller performed exactly as intended, significantly decreasing the engine RPM throughout the flight envelope without loss of cruise and climb performance.  This means the propeller efficiency has greatly increased over the existing prop.

And to top it all, I think you will agree, it really looks great on the aircraft.

SENSENICH WOODEN PROPELLER OVERHAUL

Here is a Sensenich propeller from a Jabiru 3300 powered Jabiru J400, having just had the Hercules Overhaul treatment.

Better than new!

THE HERCULES FLITZER PROPELLER IS FINISHED

The propeller which we have been making for our very own aircraft and flying test bed, the Staaken Flitzer is now finished and ready to be fitted to the engine for test flying.

More pictures as soon as it is fitted.....