📽️ Bird Strike Impact Testing on ASCALON Propeller Blade

At E-PROPS, our mission has always been to design propellers that are both extremely lightweight and exceptionally strong, built for efficiency, performance, and real-world operational safety.
In this video, we take you behind the scenes of one of our most spectacular test capabilities: bird strike impact testing, performed on a blade from our ASCALON propeller range, tested with our own chicken cannon — a very rare capability in the propeller industry !

🔍 Why Bird Strike Testing?

Bird impacts are among the most demanding events a propeller can face in service.
To assess blade robustness under such conditions, the aerospace industry uses a well-known method often nicknamed the “chicken cannon” — a controlled way to simulate an impact with a bird-sized projectile.

This type of test allows engineers to observe the structural response of the blade and confirm its ability to withstand severe impact loads, exactly as expected in flight conditions.

As highlighted by AeroVFR (a French Aeronautical blog) , this kind of test bench remains extremely rare in the propeller manufacturing world. It demonstrates a very concrete approach to safety and certification testing.

🛠️ The E-PROPS Test Bench

Designed and built in-house, our bird strike test bench is part of the development and validation campaign for our ASCALON range, dedicated to direct-drive engines and currently undergoing EASA Type Certificate certification.

Having such a capability internally gives us a unique level of autonomy and confidence in the robustness of our propellers.

A Rare Capability in the Propeller Industry

To our knowledge, very few — if any — propeller manufacturers operate their own bird impact test bench. This investment reflects our commitment to pushing propeller technology further, combining:

• advanced composite design
• high structural strength
• certification-level testing
• and lightweight performance

Light is Right – and Strong is E-PROPS !