Hegy Propellers, founded by Ray Hegy, was an American manufacturer of wooden propellers for homebuilt and ultralight aircraft. The company headquarters was located in Marfa, Texas.[1]
| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founder | Ray Hegy |
| Fate | Out of business |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Aircraft propellers |
Hegy built fixed-pitch two and four bladed propellers with diameters from 12 to 120 in (30 to 305 cm) for Continental engines, Volkswagen air-cooled engines and Chevrolet Corvair engines. Propellers were made from birch and maple.[1]
History
editRay Hegy worked in Milwaukee, building propellers for iceboats. This experience qualified him to respond to an ad "for cabinetmakers to build wooden craft propellers" in 1925.[2] Ray Hegy bought his first plane, a Waco-10, in 1928. In 1957, Hegy started building the Chuparosa and was finished after nine years at a cost of $600. The success of the Chuparosa changed Hegy "from a furniture maker and refinisher to a full-time carver of wooden propellers." At that time, Hegy made his propellers in his backyard workshop.[2]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, page 84. BAI Communications. ISBN 0-9636409-4-1
- ^ a b "The Spirit of Marfa: A Lifetime of Airplanes". Texas Monthly. 5 (10). Emmis Communications: 91. October 1977. ISSN 0148-7736.