A custom-designed, slow-turning, six-blade propeller was developed by Hamilton Standard.

"We did last year," says Jeff, a production planner for Hamilton Standard.

In 1952 Hamilton Standard opened its aircraft propeller plant in Windsor Locks.

In the 1970s, Hamilton Standard started researching propellers with similar sweep.

Hamilton Standard, a subsidiary of United Technologies, has been producing propellers since the 1920's and claims to be the largest propeller manufacturer in the world.

The company was formed from the merger of Hamilton Standard and Sundstrand Corporation in 1999.

The layoffs follow a review that indicated the division was overstaffed, Hamilton Standard said in a statement.

Mastracchio worked for Hamilton Standard in Connecticut as an engineer in the system design group from 1982 until 1987.

As a compromise, Hamilton agreed to the merger only if his name took precedence in the new trademark and was called Hamilton Standard.

Hamilton Standard said orders for the suits were broken into 18 items, including sizes.