A newly approved reversible propeller for the Aviat Husky will give floatplane pilots greater control during water operations, Aviat Aircraft announced at the Sun 'n Fun International Fly-In and Expo in Lakeland, Florida.
MT Propeller distributor Flight Resource LLC obtained a supplemental type certificate to install the electro-hydraulic, composite, three-blade propeller on Aviat Husky aircraft on April 20. Aviat President Stu Horn said the company had planned to take an aircraft equipped with the propeller to the site of the splash-in during Sun 'n Fun, but had to keep it nearby when the splash-in was canceled because of high water. Fly-in attendees can see the propeller in action, however, in a video playing at the Aviat display.
The video shows an amphibious Husky come to a near-stop upon touching down in the water, taxi forward, and then back up. The airplane demonstrates its new capability by inching toward a dock, stopping just short of bumping into it, and on land by backing into a hangar.
Horn said that open water bodies are often prone to winds, and landing on a river subjects floatplanes to the current. “Approaching or departing an obstacle on a floatplane is challenging, until this came along,” he said.
The propeller reversal is controlled by a switch on the throttle, which is activated within a specific manifold pressure/rpm range. The 78-inch-diameter propeller has a graphite spinner and sells for about $30,000, Horn said—a little less when installed on a new aircraft, and a little more for a retrofit.
