Royal Aircraft Factory FE 8 - Wooden Propeller

Comments: One of the more peculiar looking early WW1 aircraft was the Royal Aircraft Factory FE8, which was powered by a 100 HP Gnome ("Monosoupape", or single valve) engine in a pusher configuration, which necessitates the left hand thread of the propeller. Prior to the development of the gunfiring interrupter mechanism the advantage of the pusher configuration was to allow a machine gun to be fired from the forward cockpit without hitting the propeller. This very graceful 4 bladed propeller is characterized by a very thin, lightweight design and small dowel reinforcement of the laminations within the blade. All 4 junctions at the hub show the effects of normal expansion and contraction of wood grain in perpendicular laminations (see below).

Wood: Mahogany

Length: 2.44m