Over the last four decades, we at Memphis Propeller have seen a great deal of change! From the very beginning, Aerial Ag Sprayers were a huge part of our business. 

And still are! 

Decades ago, the Hamilton Standard propeller reigned supreme as it partnered with the R985 and 1340 radial engines. Then came the three-bladed Hartzells to propel the Pratt & Whitney turbine. Eventually, the five-bladed aluminum propellers would emerge and become dominant.

All the while, as the season(s) would play out and when a mechanical issue or strike would inevitably happen, the key question would come:

How can we minimize downtime?

How can we maximize performance?

In business now for almost half a century (47 years to be exact), Memphis Propeller & Accessories has always been close to the agricultural community. And the Aerial Applicator world continues to be a big part of what Memphis Propeller is!

In the 1980’s, Memphis Propeller was the very first propeller shop, other than the factory, to be authorized to work on Hartzell composite blades.

Today, some 40 years later, we are extremely excited to make two announcements!

First, we will be stocking the NEW Five-Bladed MT Propeller for the Air Tractor 602 and 802!

Why?

Because the engineering, materials, and blade characteristics provide significant improvement in aircraft performance. In addition, many of the strikes that would take down a typical Air Tractor for days or weeks can be handled in hours with a blade exchange. 

What about strikes? Isn’t a composite blade more tender and susceptible to damage?

Actually, the nickel leading edge on the MT is 10X stronger than the aluminum counterpart! And that leading edge extends from the tip of the blade to the hub! Protecting the whole leading edge!

That’s 10X stronger!

In other strike instances, a blow that might render an aluminum blade scrap also scraps the corresponding clamp and hub, usually requiring significant downtime as the propeller goes through overhaul and parts replacement. Because we will be stocking the propellers, hubs, and sets of exchange blades, when a strike does occur, we will be ready to exchange the blades, hub, or propeller to get you back in the air.

In some cases, on the same day! That’s big!

All those years ago, those Hamilton Standards, built like tanks, were expected to ‘last forever’. And they can and do. But this being true, improvements have been made in how you deliver to the fields and crops. 

Improvements are here again.

Give us a call to see if the new five-bladed MT’s for the Air Tractor 602 and 802 might be a great fit for you.