Manufacturer of wood-composite propellers for aviation, hovercraft, airships and wind tunnels – based in Rosenheim since 1955.
Hoffmann Propeller GmbH & Co. KG
Rosenheim (DE) · Litlington (GB) · Opa-Locka, FL (US)New on Amplifa
About Hoffmann Propeller
Hoffmann Propeller GmbH & Co. KG develops, manufactures and maintains propellers in wood-composite construction at its site in Rosenheim, Bavaria. The portfolio comprises two- to five-blade fixed-pitch, ground-adjustable and variable-pitch propellers for general aviation and UAVs, propellers for hovercraft with diameters from 1.0 to 3.5 m, swivelling drives for airships as well as rotor blades for wind tunnels with wind speeds of up to 400 km/h. Blade production is based on laminated, hand-selected ash or softwood with a sheathing of fibre-reinforced epoxy resin; the hubs are made from forged aluminium alloy with CNC machining and electroplated coating. In addition, the company provides maintenance, repair and overhaul of its own and third-party propellers and governors (Hartzell, McCauley, Sensenich, Woodward/Ontic) in accordance with EASA Part 145, as well as its own electroplating facility offering cadmium coating, hard chrome plating and anodising. More than 50 skilled professionals work on a production floor of 5,700 m²; service stations are located in Rosenheim, Litlington (UK) and Florida (USA). Approvals include EASA Part 21G, Part 21J and Part 145 as well as an FAA Repair Station certificate.
- Site
- Rosenheim
- Processes
- Manufacturing of wood-composite propellers for general aviation (2- to 5-blade, fixed-pitch,, Fixed-pitch propellers in wood-composite construction (EASA and FAA certified), Variable-pitch propeller manufacturing (wood core with glass-fibre reinforcement, CNC machining,, Composite blade manufacturing (blade root made from highly densified hardwood, blade body from, Hub assembly manufacturing (forged aluminium alloy, CNC machining, electroplating, Hub forging (forged aluminium hub assemblies), Spinner assembly manufacturing (propeller spinners made of aluminium or plastic, base plate from, Propellers for vintage aircraft (reproduction of historic blade geometries, design according to
- Materials
- Ash wood (hand-selected, laminated), Highly densified hardwood, Softwood (light), Glass fibre / fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP), Epoxy resin (fibre-reinforced), Polyurethane paint, Polyurethane (PU protection strip), Aluminium (forged alloy for hubs)
- Certificates
- EASA Part 145 Maintenance Organization (DE.145.0063), EASA Part 21G Production Organization (DE.21G.0014), EASA 21J Design Organisation Approval, FAA Repair Station Certificate, McCauley Service Facility Authorization, Hartzell Service Facility Authorization, EASA Part 145 Maintenance (DE.145.0063), EASA Part 21G Production (DE.21G.0014), ISO 9001
- Founded
- 1955
- Employees
- over 50
- Industries
- General aviation, Historic aviation/Vintage aircraft, Hovercraft, Airships, Wind tunnels/Automotive research, UAV
- 01
Engineering & design (FAR 35)
- 02
Blade production from laminated wood
- 03
Sheathing with fibre-reinforced epoxy resin
- 04
CNC machining
- 05
Hub forging & hub machining
- 06
Electroplated coating
- 07
Painting & leading-edge protection
- 08
Assembly & balancing
- 09
Maintenance, repair & overhaul
Materials & Processes
Glass fibre / fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP)
Sheathing of the blades to increase torsional stiffness, as well as skin and spinner.
Epoxy resin (fibre-reinforced)
Composite resin for blade construction with erosion protection.
Polyurethane (protection strip, paint)
PU protection strip on the leading edge as well as UV-resistant polyurethane paint.
Aluminium (forged alloy)
Forged hub assemblies, spinners and base plates with CNC machining.
Ash wood (hand-selected, laminated)
Raw material for fixed-pitch propellers sourced from Germany with continuous quality inspections.
Cadmium / hard chrome plating / anodising
Electroplating processes for corrosion and wear protection of safety-critical components.
Sites
Rosenheim
DEHeadquarters, engineering, manufacturing, maintenance
- Part weight / size
- Propeller diameters up to 4 m
- Materials
- Wood composite (ash, softwood, FRP), aluminium
- CNC machining
- Electroplating (cadmium, hard chrome plating, anodising)
- Dynamic balancing
Litlington
GBService station
- Hoffmann Propeller maintenance
Opa-Locka, FL
USService station
- Hoffmann Propeller maintenance
Components
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing of wood-composite propellers for general aviation (2- to 5-blade, fixed-pitch,Plastics | – | Diameters up to 4 m | – | – | Ash wood, Hardwood, Softwood, Glass fibre (FRP), Epoxy resin, Aluminium alloy (hub) |
| Fixed-pitch propellers in wood-composite construction (EASA and FAA certified)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Ash wood (laminated), Glass fibre, Epoxy resin |
| Variable-pitch propeller manufacturing (wood core with glass-fibre reinforcement, CNC machining,Plastics | – | – | – | – | Wood (multi-layer laminated), Glass fibre, Aluminium, Glass fibre (spinner) |
| Composite blade manufacturing (blade root made from highly densified hardwood, blade body fromPlastics | – | – | – | – | Highly densified hardwood, Softwood, Epoxy resin (fibre-reinforced), Polyurethane (PU), Polyurethane paint |
| Hub assembly manufacturing (forged aluminium alloy, CNC machining, electroplatingMachining | – | – | – | – | Aluminium alloy (forged) |
| Hub forging (forged aluminium hub assemblies)Forming | – | – | – | – | Aluminium alloy |
| Spinner assembly manufacturing (propeller spinners made of aluminium or plastic, base plate fromAssembly | – | – | – | – | Aluminium, Plastic |
| Propellers for vintage aircraft (reproduction of historic blade geometries, design according toPlastics | – | – | – | – | Wood composite, Light metal (forged hub) |
| Wood-composite propellers for hovercraft (3, 4 and 5 blade, with/without duct,Plastics | – | Diameters from 1.0 m to 3.5 m | – | – | Aluminium alloy (forged hub), Wood composite, Glass fibre (FRP) |
| Swivelling propellers for airshipsPlastics | – | – | – | – | Aluminium alloy (forged hub), Wood composite, Glass fibre (FRP) |
| Fan/rotor blades for wind tunnels (wind speeds up to 400 km/h, drive power overPlastics | – | – | – | – | Wood composite |
| Propeller maintenance, repair and overhaul in accordance with EASA Part 145 (own products andAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Maintenance, repair and overhaul of propellers and governors from leading manufacturers (Hartzell,Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Governor maintenance (disassembly, inspection, cleaning, repair, electroplated coating,Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Electroplating: cadmium coating, hard chrome plating and anodising processes, incl.Surface | – | – | – | – | Cadmium, Chromium, Aluminium (anodising) |
| Dynamic propeller balancing (dynamic balancing)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Propeller development and design (development, design in accordance with FAR 35, designEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sales of propellers and governors (Hoffmann, Hartzell, McCauley, Woodward) incl. company-ownedAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
1 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNC machining (precision CNC machining of blades and hubs) | – | – | – | – | Rosenheim |
Additional services
Quality & Approvals
The processes are approved in accordance with EASA Part 21G (production), Part 21J (design) and Part 145 (maintenance) as well as an FAA Repair Station. Production steps are safeguarded by continuous quality inspections, testing and measurement procedures, and dynamic balancing.
| Evidence | Rosenheim |
|---|---|
| EASA Part 145 Maintenance (DE.145.0063) | |
| EASA Part 21G Production (DE.21G.0014) | |
| EASA 21J Design Organisation Approval | |
| FAA Repair Station Certificate | |
| ISO 9001 |
History
- 1955
Founded in Rosenheim by Ludwig Hoffmann and Richard Wurm with six employees; initially propeller manufacturing for motor gliders.
Expansion to include overhaul of American aircraft propellers; specialisation in hovercraft propellers and wind tunnel rotors.
- 2013
Redesign of the V-Prop (automatic electronic variable-pitch propeller by Thomas Strieker/Silence Aircraft) in progress.