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The King Air 350 Whisper Prop is a first of its kind five-bladed, carbon fibre propeller with natural composite core for superior noise and vibration dampening. Whisper Prop Photo
Whisper Prop, the ultra-quiet, low-vibration King Air propeller system from BLR Aerospace, is gaining market share and growing in popularity.
Ten Whisper Prop systems have been sold for King Air 90, 200 and 350 aircraft, according to BLR vice president of sales and marketing Dave Marone.
“The jury is in,” Marone said. “Whisper Prop is incredibly smooth and quiet providing a step change in cabin comfort.”
The King Air 350 Whisper Prop is a first of its kind five-bladed, carbon fibre propeller with natural composite core for superior noise and vibration dampening.
This propeller is certified and ready for immediate delivery. The King Air 350 Whisper Prop will be on display in BLR Exhibit No. N4916 at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, Nov. 17-19 in Las Vegas.
Winglets will also be on display, and BLR will make available reference copies of certified performance charts for King Airs equipped with Whisper Prop and Winglets.
George Moussa, president of Ambella Home, added Whisper Prop to his King Air 90GTi and has no regrets.
“I love them,” he said. “The props are beautiful. They make the airplane look like a bad boy, so ramp appeal is very high. They are also definitely quieter, with a clear reduction in noise and vibration.”
Moussa added that he now considers Whisper Prop to be “essential” on any trip of 90 minutes or more.
Marone said the data is just as compelling as the owner experiences. Company King Air 90GTi flight test data show that Whisper Prop provides between 30 and 50 per cent reduction in noise measured in dba, depending on audible frequency, when compared to the standard King Air 90GTi propeller.
Performance gains are also impressive. King Air 350 operators who install Whisper Prop, for example, can expect a six per cent reduction in takeoff time from brake release to VR speed.
BLR introduced the Federal Aviation Administration-certified five-blade, carbon-fibre propeller in May. EASA and ANAC certifications are also complete, Marone said.
Whisper Prop was designed to integrate into BLR’s Winglet Systems, providing King Air 90 and 200 customers the opportunity to fly to an improved and certified flight manual supplement.
Winglets and Whisper Prop combine to optimize runway performance, climb performance, and range while delivering significant reductions in noise and vibration. The systems may also be installed independently.
Unlike conventional propellers, Whisper Prop features a carbon fibre blade with natural composite core. This design philosophy allows for infinite fatigue life, superior noise and vibration dampening, and highly repairable blades all contributing to empirical reductions in life cycle cost. ]
The BLR Winglet System increases wing aspect ratio to reduce induced drag. By increasing wing efficiency, Winglets provide superior speed, climb, fuel efficiency and handling qualities.
