Pioneers of Aviation

— Hartzell Propeller, Inc. —

Troy resident, Robert N. Hartzell, ws the founder of
Hartzell Propeller Company. When he was still a student
at the University of Cincinnati. Robert visited with his
Oakwood, Ohio neighbor, Orville Wright at his Hawthorn
Hill residence. Since the Hartzell family had been in the
hardwood business, he encouraged Robert Hartzell to get
into the propeller business. Robert started Hartzell
Propeller in 1917 in Piqua, Ohio, manufacturing hardwood
propellers. The first order resulted in Hartzell Propeller
supplying 50 propellers to the US Navy. Hartzell continued
to supply propellers for the Navy Dirigible program and
quickly evolved from making walnut propellers to
producing metal propeller blades as a subcontractor to
Curtis Wright. Robert purchased a farm to create the
Piqua, Ohio airport and later turned it over to the city.
Hartzell metal propellers were used in Cessna, Piper and
Beech aircraft, among others. A composite propeller
blade was patented in 1949 by Hartzell, which was the
first patent for a composite propeller blade. In the 1960s
and 1970s, Hartzell controlled over 90% of the light, twin
propeller industry business and nearly 100% of the turb0-
prop light twin engine market. Hartzell Propeller was
later sold to TRW. Robert Hartzell was enshrined in 2015
in the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

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