The Lightest Revolution: The Story of E-Props

By Garth Calitz

Up in the French Alps, away from the noise of airports and busy runways, something exciting was happening in aviation. It wasn't the work of a Silicon Valley startup or a big government aerospace lab. Instead, it was a small group of engineers with a straightforward mission: create the lightest, most efficient propeller ever and show that carbon, not metal, is the future of flying.

E-Props didn't start in some fancy boardroom; it all began in a cosy little workshop in Savoie. The founders, who are both pilots and engineers, were really fed up with how heavy and inefficient the usual propellers were on their ultralight planes. Every kilogram made a difference, and the noise levels were a big deal too. But most of the propellers out there seemed outdated. So, they decided to make their own.

They played around with carbon fibre composites, fine-tuned the blade shapes, and worked on hubs that cut down on vibrations. What rolled out of that garage wasn’t just lighter—it was faster, quieter, and tougher than anything they’d flown before.

E-Props didn't just make carbon fibre blades; they totally changed the game for propellers. Instead of sticking with heavy, overbuilt props, pilots could now opt for super lightweight carbon blades crafted with exact precision. E-Props were 30% to 50% lighter than the usual ones, sometimes weighing just a few kilos. And the benefits were clear right away: improved climb rates, reduced fuel consumption, and smoother throttle response.

They made tuning super easy, too. With their modular hub design, pilots could tweak the pitch in just a few minutes with just a digital protractor and a few spanners, no mechanic needed. By 2020, E-Props had become a top choice in the ultralight and light sport aviation world. Whether it was for gyrocopters, paramotors, LSAs, or experimental electric aircraft, the brand became a quiet standard, providing thrust without adding weight.

They kicked off the Durandal line for high-performance aircraft and then introduced Excalibur for those tougher conditions and heavier loads. Both lines were crafted with a keen focus on getting the best thrust-to-weight performance, keeping noise down, and ensuring they could handle real-world challenges — even in the harsh climates and dusty runways of South Africa.

They kept all their production in France. They used automated CNC machines to carve super-precise moulds. Each blade got a personal check by hand. Nothing was shipped out until it passed some seriously tough tests for vibration, balance, and stress, way beyond what the industry usually requires. E-Props just hit a major milestone by making their 300,000th blade, which is pretty impressive for a small team of just 58 people.

Today, E-Props is powering thousands of aircraft across more than 80 countries. It's a top choice for bush pilots, adventure flyers, and pioneers in electric aviation. E-Props has made its way to South Africa, with Micro Aviation, the makers of the popular Bat Hawk and Bantam, appointed as the African agents for E-Props. So if you are planning on a prop upgrade, contact the friendly guys from Bat Hawk City; they will definitely have what you need.

While major aviation giants chase size and speed, E-Props stays focused on efficiency, simplicity, and pushing light aviation further. And the mission hasn’t changed.

“We didn’t start with a business plan,” one founder once said. “We started with a problem: propellers were too heavy. So we made one that wasn’t.”

Lightweight. Powerful. Quiet. E-Props didn’t just build a better blade. They gave flight itself a lighter footprint.