Curtiss Propeller

[Runway16]

OK, If we are looking at prop identification then try this one.

The two blade wooden prop is in Australia. It is marked Curtiss AD 543 LH D2520 P 1580.

The LH probably indicates that it is a pusher prop.
Curtiss was probably the maker. It was probably on a Curtiss engine.
The only aircraft, 'airplane' if you like, that it may have been was a Curtiss MF Seagull seaplane, later designated a Curtiss 18 Seagull. We had two here in Australia but both were off the register by 1925/26.
The engine in the Seagull was probably a Curtiss C-6 of 160 hp.
Could it be that D2520 means drawing # 2520 and P 1580 means
prop # 1580 in a production line?
AD 543 I cannot guess.

Can anyone with more knowledge help ID the prop. Do I have part of the story? Or am I guessing too much.

R16

[Dave]

The "P" and the "D" refer to pitch and diameter in mm. . The "AD 543" is the key, as it refers to a blueprint number that is referenced in several lists which should indicate all of the aircraft/engine uses that may apply.

Unfortunately, I'm miles away from my copy of that list, and Bob Gardner or possibly even someone else will hopefully respond to this before I'm back at my home computer.

We should be able to narrow it way down, sometimes to a single aircraft. (You might have to wait for a week or so, and if you haven't had a satisfactory reply after that, just respond to your own post with the word "bump". That will alert me to re-check it.)

[Runway16]

Curtiss propeller

Dave,
Many thanks for the speedy reply.
After I sent it away I checked elsewhere in the column and realised from other intel what the D and P meant. Yes, keen to see what that AD number can tell.
Fascinating to think that we can possibly tag this prop to a make/model of aircraft, even after all these years.
Given that Australia did not have a large number of American built and powered aircraft here in the 1920s era there is a reasonable chance of associating it with a particular aircraft/registration.
Then comes the research to try and find out what happened to that aircraft.
Fascinating!

R16

[Dave]

I think of hundreds of propellers I've owned or even seen over the years, I've only found one that could be linked to a specific aircraft, and that was a Fokker DVII that had the aircraft number painted on the prop at the factory.

The best you are likely to be able to do is narrow it down to a make and model. I think that even if maintenance logs were to be found it would be a long shot to get that information.

If you can post photos of the whole prop with a close up view of the hub, we may be able to tell more.