1912 Paragon Wooden Propeller

Comments: This is an extremely rare propeller constructed by the American Propeller Company under the trade name "Paragon" during or prior to 1912. It is unclear what aircraft it might have been destined for, and is only 6 feet in length so was presumably for a small, early engine. In 1910 the American Propeller Company began constructing propellers in Washington, DC, where this was made, and then moved to Baltimore in 1912, clearly establishing the early manufacturing date of this item. The company went on to become one of the leading propeller manufacturers in the early years of aviation, having constructed over 25,000 wooden propellers by the end of WW1. There are several features of this propeller that are rare, including the use of pine or similar light wood, the stamped Washington, DC, logo, the use of cross pinned dowels to reinforce the blade, and the construction of a curved front AND rear surface of the blades, a process that was soon abandoned in favor of the flat rear surface, which was easier and less expensive to construct. It is likely that this propeller was custom made almost entirely by hand.

Wood: Possibly a species of pine.

Length: 6 feet