What Catto Propellers does

Catto Propellers is a privately held, US-based manufacturer of high-performance aircraft propellers founded in 1975 and headquartered in Jackson, California. The company designs and builds fixed pitch, ground adjustable, and hydraulic constant speed propellers primarily for the experimental, Special Light Sport Aircraft (S-LSA), and Experimental Light Sport Aircraft (E-LSA) categories, with catalog coverage spanning Van's RV series, Cub type, Pitts and DR-107 aerobatic, and canard/pusher platforms including LongEZ, Velocity, Berkut, and Cozy.

Core products are structural composite propellers using carbon fiber over a wood/foam core, manufactured via VARTM (vacuum assisted resin transfer molding) and finished with electroformed nickel leading edges for erosion resistance. Proprietary technical features include a custom CFD-validated airfoil with swept tip, a hub and shim-based pitch change system offering 16 degrees of range with zero play, and matching carbon fiber spinner kits and hardware accessories. Recent development extends into hydraulic constant speed propeller systems for ROTAX 915/916 and Lycoming/Continental engines, plus custom structures and manufacturing services for drones and EVTOL aircraft.

The business model is direct-to-consumer: customers reach the company via website, email, or phone to specify propeller dimensions, pitch, and bolt patterns for their aircraft. Pricing is publicly disclosed, ranging from $3,550 for a two-bladed fixed pitch propeller to $18,000 for a constant speed system, with hardware, spinners, and leading edge options sold separately. There is no external funding, no parent company, and no disclosed reseller network; the company appears bootstrapped and founder-owned, with Craig Catto continuing to lead design.

Name

Catto Propellers

Legal name

Catto Propellers

Website

https://cattoprops.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Catto Propellers designs and manufactures carbon fiber composite fixed pitch, ground adjustable, and constant speed propellers for experimental, S-LSA, and E-LSA aircraft, serving individual builders and owners of Van's RV, Cub type, aerobatic, and canard platforms from its Jackson, California facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aircraft Propellers

NAICS

Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413)

SIC

Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728)

akta.pro primary industry

Propellers, Rotors & Open-Rotor Propulsors (IMABADAI)

Keywords

• Aircraft propellers
• Propeller manufacturing
• Composite propellers
• Experimental aircraft parts
• Aviation propeller design

Headquarters

HQ city

Jackson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Propeller Sales: Primary revenue from designing and manufacturing custom and standard propellers for experimental, S-LSA and E-LSA aircraft. Products include fixed pitch, ground adjustable, and constant speed propellers.
2. Hardware and Accessories: Revenue from spinner kits, extensions, crush plates, bolt kits, and leading edge protection products.
3. Service and Documentation: Provides owners installation and maintenance manuals, service bulletins. Revenue from service support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Catto Propellers designs and manufactures carbon fiber composite propellers for experimental, S-LSA, and E-LSA aircraft. Its core offerings include fixed pitch propellers, ground adjustable propellers, and hydraulic constant speed propellers, supplemented by spinner kits, hardware components, and leading edge protection. Custom propeller design and structures manufacturing services are also provided for emerging aviation projects such as drones and eVTOL aircraft.

Product overview

Catto Propellers is a manufacturer of high-performance aircraft propellers founded in 1975, specializing in experimental and ASTM-certified aircraft. The product portfolio consists of three core propeller types: Fixed Pitch Propellers (for RV series, Cub Type, Aerobatic aircraft like Pitts, Canards including LongEZ and Velocity), Ground Adjustable Propellers (with adjustable pitch via shim system), and Constant Speed Propellers (hydraulic constant speed for Berkut, Velocity, Cozy and Cub Type). The company also offers related accessories including carbon fiber spinners (10.5" to 16"), hardware components (extensions, crush plates, ETP kits), and leading edge protection (nickel or tape). All propellers feature structural carbon fiber construction with wood core, use VARTM manufacturing, and include electroformed nickel leading edge protection. Custom propeller design and manufacturing services are available for drones, EVTOL, and other custom projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Carbon fiber construction provides lightweight yet strong blade structure
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• MV AerosupportingTechnology or IntegrationCFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) partner for blade design validation. Craig Catto developed new blade designs and validated them with MV Aero using CFD analysis. This partnership enables optimization of airfoil designs before manufacturing.
• TK1/Monster Aircraft PartscoreTechnology or IntegrationPrecision machining partner for hub manufacturing. The hubs have very tight tolerances which makes for a streamlined installation. Critical component supplier for ground adjustable and constant speed propeller hubs.
• JihostrojsupportingTechnology or IntegrationGovernor supplier for constant speed propeller systems. Jihostroj governors available for both Lycoming/Continental engines (roughly $1,700) and ROTAX 915/916 engines (PN: P-110-060/A).
• McCauleysupportingTechnology or IntegrationMcCauley hubs and internals used in Catto constant speed propeller systems for Cub Type, Bearhawk, and other aircraft using 360, 370, 375, 390, 409, 540, and 550 engines.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Prince Aircraft Propeller: Composite propeller manufacturer serving experimental and light sport aircraft with fixed pitch and adjustable offerings. Comparable scale and customer overlap with Catto.
• Sterling Propeller (Bennett Propeller): Custom propeller manufacturer for experimental and light sport aircraft including composite two- and three-blade designs. Comparable size, custom-build focus, and target customer overlap.
• Powerfin Propellers: Manufactures composite ground-adjustable propellers for experimental aircraft including Van's RV and similar platforms, with a comparable direct-to-consumer sales model.
• GSC Props (Great Plains Aircraft): Manufactures composite ground-adjustable propellers for experimental and light sport aircraft, with direct overlap on Van's RV, Cub Type, and similar homebuilt platforms.
• WhirlWind Propellers: Specializes in carbon fiber composite propellers for experimental and light sport aircraft, including ground-adjustable and constant speed offerings. Direct competitor to Catto across most of its product categories.
• Sensenich Propeller: Long-established US propeller manufacturer producing wood, composite, and ground-adjustable propellers for experimental, light sport, and certified aircraft. Closely comparable product range, customer base, and pricing tier to Catto.

Broad incumbents

• MT-Propeller: European propeller manufacturer with broad coverage in certified and experimental aircraft. Comparable composite and constant speed technology but significantly larger global footprint.
• Hartzell Propeller: One of the largest US propeller manufacturers serving certified general aviation, business aviation, and military markets. Significant scale, broader portfolio, and certified products make it a broad incumbent reference rather than a direct competitor to Catto's experimental focus.
• McCauley Propeller Systems: Major OEM propeller supplier for Cessna, Beechcraft, and other certified platforms. Also a hub/internals supplier to Catto. Comparable technology base at much larger scale and broader market reach.

Regional players

• Aircraft Propeller Service: US propeller sales, repair, and overhaul shop carrying multiple composite propeller brands. Comparable product category but operates as a multi-brand distributor/service center rather than a manufacturer, making it an adjacent channel peer for Catto's direct-to-consumer model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cattopropellers
• Facebookfacebook.com/cattoprops
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catto-propellers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Catto Propellers