Helix-Carbon Expands Constant-Speed Propeller Line with H42A, H62A and H102A as FAA MOSAIC Opens US Light-Sport Market
Why It MattersMOSAIC's removal of the weight cap and its allowance for variable-pitch props widens the US light-sport market to component suppliers, pulling European propeller makers into American general aviation.
Helix-Carbon GmbH, a composite propeller specialist based in Würselen near Aachen, Germany, is expanding its carbon propeller and rotor range for general aviation, drone and eVTOL markets as the FAA's MOSAIC regulations reshape US light-sport aviation. The company says 2026 has been its biggest year of product launches to date.
New products include the ARC high-curvature blade geometry, first used on the VTL "Talon"; a hydraulic, in-flight adjustable H62A with a feathering option for turboprop and high-performance piston aircraft, which Helix says improved efficiency and cruise performance by around 10% in testing against an OEM propeller; an H42A constant-speed system now available in a 5-blade configuration; and a new electrically controlled H42A for Rotax engines without a hydraulic output. The H102A, the company's largest propeller, is a constant-speed system for experimental aircraft, large drones and engines.
MOSAIC's second and final phase took effect on July 24, 2026, creating a new light-sport certification category under Part 22. The 1,320 lb weight cap has been replaced with stall-speed limits, and light-sport aircraft may now have four seats, retractable gear and variable-pitch propellers, opening the segment to constant-speed systems such as the H42A and H62A. Helix says several European manufacturers it partners with are entering the US market, and it aims to become a household name in American general aviation in 2027.
Founded in 1990 by three people building propellers for paramotors and PPG trikes, Helix now sells more than 10,000 propellers a year and has delivered over 100,000 in total. It holds EASA production organisation approval (DE. 0126) and DIN EN 9100 manufacturing certification, and produces in Germany and in Thailand through Helix Composites, with every propeller built and finished by hand. Its catalogue exceeds 1,000 models from 0.75 m to 3 m in diameter.
In publicly funded North Rhine-Westphalia projects, Helix is developing the Flüsterprop.NRW propeller for electric training aircraft, targeted to be at least 3 dB(A) quieter, and a "Jetpeller" ducted propeller for a hydrogen fuel-cell drive. Citing rapid growth in the second half of 2026, the company plans to expand operations at its German and Thai sites in 2027–2028.
