“I Just Ran Away… Like I Had Another 30 Horsepower on the Engine Compared to the Other One”

World champion aerobatic aviator Sean Tucker has received field approval for the use of a Hartzell composite three-blade Talon performance prop on the first of four tandem seat GB1 GameBirds operated by his new team. 

The U.S. Composites GameBird features a 303 horsepower Lycoming AEIO-580 engine, with a stock four-blade, wood-core prop in factory trim. The light weight, unlimited aerobatic competitor is ordinarily plenty fast in stock trim, but Tucker says the Talon brings out the best in the plane. When comparing two GB1’s back to back, with nearly uniform characteristics, differing only in propeller fitment the disparity was apparent. 

“We went full RPM and full throttle, and I just ran away, at least 12-15 miles an hour faster,” Tucker said. “I mean, ran away. It was stunning. It was like I had another 30 horsepower on the engine compared to the other one, and both engines were the same and everything else was equal,” he said. 

It’s not common to find such a good match in aviation without some kind of compromise, but Tucker says the change works all around. “I can’t believe a propeller could make that much difference when they’re basically the same diameter. The three-bladed prop is only a little bit bigger. The other good news is that during the testing, we stayed within the noise decibel limits. So, the Talon is not louder. There’s nothing but good that’s coming out of this field approval.”

Hartzell’s composite propeller line fits a wide range of aircraft models, with recommendations, specifications, and service requirements available through their website. 

FMI: www.hartzellprop.com