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My Autographed Flottorp Prop

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  • #1

    My Autographed Flottorp Prop

    I am finally getting around to posting some pics of this propeller. I received it from my father before he passed in Sept. This prop was in our attic in Michigan since 1968, not sure when my dad got it, but he worked for Bohn Aluminum and brass, and I think that is part of the story. I believe the metal on the prop was from Bohn.

    This prop has signatures on it, it looks like it was used in the 1927 air races, referencing "Spokane" etc. Also some reference to Santa Fe N.M.

    I am trying to get a ticket to the Antiques Road Show in Chicago, seems appropriate since the prop was mfg'd there.....Will find out in April. Very interested in what the value of this prop would be with all of the important aviation people involved.
    Enjoy!
    John V.
    Clinton Twp, MI
    Attached Files
    Tags: 1927 air race, autographed propeller, eddie stinson, rare propeller
  • #2
    Don't know about the signatures, but I think that's one of the early Flottorp decals. Are there numbers stamped on the prop? I'd be surprised if the Antiques Road Show knows anything about propellers, but they probably have a good idea about the value of the autographs themselves.
    Dave

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    • #3
      The markings I can find are SC9386, and 1238 in the hub. There is an "A" in a square with a number under it. Maybe 115 or 11s, judging by the measurements, it was used on the OX5 engine.
      Thanks for any further information.
      John V.

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      • #4
        The "SC" number is for "Signal Corps", and I think the "A" + number is likely an inspections stamping.

        Let us know what Antiques Road Show has to say about it.
        Dave

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Dave View Post
          The "SC" number is for "Signal Corps", and I think the "A" + number is likely an inspections stamping.

          Let us know what Antiques Road Show has to say about it.
          Dave, do you or anybody else know if the Hisso engine used the same prop as the OX5? The Waco 10 had a lot of entries in the air races, but several had the Hisso engine instead of the OX5. Just trying to narrow down a pilot that may have used this prop.
          JV

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          • #6
            They used completely different hubs and therefore different props. You can tell which one yours isn't by its hub dimensions. See this page for an explanation, and it leads to this table, which shows the OX 5 hub to have a bolt hole circle diameter of 5 1/4". Without measuring, yours looks more like an OX5 hub than a Hisso, but you should measure to see if it's at least one of those. Neither match confirms for sure that it's one engine or the other, but it does effectively rule one of them out completely.
            Dave

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Dave View Post
              They used completely different hubs and therefore different props. You can tell which one yours isn't by its hub dimensions. See this page for an explanation, and it leads to this table, which shows the OX 5 hub to have a bolt hole circle diameter of 5 1/4". Without measuring, yours looks more like an OX5 hub than a Hisso, but you should measure to see if it's at least one of those. Neither match confirms for sure that it's one engine or the other, but it does effectively rule one of them out completely.
              I've been doing a lot of research, and I've found that only one plane in the 1927 air race used the OX5 engine. That belonged to none other than Paul Braniff, in an Alexander Eaglerock Longwing 8.

              I think this prop has historical value way beyond the normal value. I wish my dad was still here to tell me how he got this thing, and why he let it sit in the attic for 40 years that I know of. No idea of what this thing is worth, it really should go in a museum.

              Comment

              • #8
                Originally posted by camaroon4me View Post
                I've been doing a lot of research, and I've found that only one plane in the 1927 air race used the OX5 engine. That belonged to none other than Paul Braniff, in an Alexander Eaglerock Longwing 8.

                I think this prop has historical value way beyond the normal value. I wish my dad was still here to tell me how he got this thing, and why he let it sit in the attic for 40 years that I know of. No idea of what this thing is worth, it really should go in a museum.
                You may be right about the value, but I'm not sure how that gets determined except possibly by an auction house or some other organization that could valuate the signatures themselves.
                Dave

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                • #9
                  A quick look at the signatures show the first to be that of Eddie Stinson ... not bad.

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                  • #10
                    Finally got the tickets for Antique Road Show

                    After a couple of years of trying, I finally scored some tickets to the Antique Road Show in Indianapolis! My buddy and I will be heading there July 9th!

                    Ive done a lot more research, and I believe I've narrowed this prop down to Paul Braniff's plane. He flew one of two Eagle Rock 8 planes, and was the only one to use the OX5 engine that this prop would match. His signature is on the prop as well as many other noteables. Besides Eddie Stinson, who won the competition in 1927, there is also Randal Page, John P Wood, E.W Cleveland, Cloyd Clevenger. Also some of the passengers, and yet others that I can't identify yet.
                    I'm pretty excited to get to go, hopefully they have someone there that can shed a little more light on this prop!
                    John V.

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