Help ID Prop

[canman]

Can anyone help id a prop for me? It was made by Ratier, This name is inlayed in brass. The overall length is 9 ft. 4 ins. The hub is 8 bolt holes with a4 in. shaft opening. Its 5 and 3/4 in. thick. The #s on the hub are 352 over 42. Type XIV. OR. 300 HP. This prop has what might have been a light green paint on the back side. Is this done by the maker or added later? I would like to know what engine and plane this came off of. Thank you.

[pmdec]

Hi,

If there are the letters "BIS" or "Bis" near the "42", I can give you some infos about your prop. I even have a copy of Ratier envoice for this very prop n°352.

BUT, as I was been disappointed too often, you first have to post good pictures of both side of the whole prop AND close up of each side of the hub, that is 4 + 2 = 6 pictures ! They are for my Ratier archives.

As you can't post big detailed pictures directly on the forum, you have to use an extarnal server (ImageShack or similar), or you could send me the pictures by mail and I will post them for all visitors can see them.

Regards,
PM

If you are in France, I will be pleased to see the prop. My mail is on attached image (on one line, without space):

[Dave]

As you can't post big detailed pictures directly on the forum, you have to use an extarnal server (ImageShack or similar), or you could send me the pictures by mail and I will post them for all visitors can see them.

Pmdec, I just a few days ago increased the photo size to 900 x 900 pixel maximum, and could probably increase it some more if needed. Since we're a low budget operation here (i.e. "no budget") I'm trying to avoid bandwidth expense and encourage people to use external servers if they can.

Any thoughts on what the best size should be?

[pmdec]

Hi Dave,

This was not a criticism towards the forum: this forum is the best about propellers, no doubt!
And I don't know you had enlarged the pictures size limit !

So, I should have written "If you can't" and no "As you can't" ... sorry!

I don't know which picture size would be right, it is a very difficult issue as you can post big blurred pictures where you can't see anything, or pictures where the prop is a small thing in a large room ...
900 x 900 have to be enough for a good picture, as it will be rendered about 1 for 1 on screen.
Even if IrfanView is a very (very, very !) good free software, I think many people use the software given with their camera. And it seems some are very bad about compression. Even Photoshop (I have an old one, n°6 in fact ...) give a file 4 times as big as IrfanView for same quality aspect.
I understand people do not want to learn how to crop and compress, and I am not able to explain that in short and easy words, even if the first things to learn on cameras are how to use the close up button and be sufficiently steady for not using flash !

So, thanks for this improvement, and best wishes to the forum !

Regards,
PM

[Dave]

Well, I was worried about bandwidth when I set this up, but it may not really be that big a concern. I'd like to experiment with changing the file size permissions for pictures, as it seems to be a common frustration that people have trying to upload them.

The problem is that even cheap digital cameras now have 8 megapixel or higher file sizes, even though the quality of the photo can be horrible.

I'm going to try to increase the file size permissions and see if that helps. I used the 900x900 size simply because photos tend to show props either vertically or horizontally and it doesn't make sense to limit to a size that makes people select one or the other.

Ii wasn't worried about it being a criticism at all, PM. I just wanted to post an update on the change.

[canman]

Can anyone help id a prop for me? It was made by Ratier, This name is inlayed in brass. The overall length is 9 ft. 4 ins. The hub is 8 bolt holes with a4 in. shaft opening. Its 5 and 3/4 in. thick. The #s on the hub are 352 over 42. Type XIV. OR. 300 HP. This prop has what might have been a light green paint on the back side. Is this done by the maker or added later? I would like to know what engine and plane this came off of. Thank you.

Pictures of the prop are attached

[Dave]

Here's a photo Ratier props used by the AEF as published in 1918. Yours may be later than that, but if the measurements and numbers seem consistent with yours, I can look back in the catalog and see what aircraft might have used that particular model.

[pmdec]

Hi,

Thanks to pictures, Ratier serial 42bis ("Bis" have to be stamped near serial number on the round part of the hub) was for Breguet XIV with Fiat 300 HP engine ("Fi" or "Fiat" have to be stamped on the part of the hub which "stick" to "300 HP").

Prop dimensions were 2m85 (112.2") dia, 1m92 (75.6") pitch and the blades were 240mm (9.45") large.

This very prop number 352 has been made in early 1918. I can tell you exactly when if you post close pictures of the three SFA stamps (small squares with SFA letters in them) with two groups of digits which are on one of the flat sides of the hub.

Curiously, the prop don't seem to have been metal protected when sold.

Try to post close pictures of the four sides of the hub (two flat ones and two round ones). With them, I can post (and send you if you give an email) a copy of the original envoice by Ratier.

I add close pictures of Ratier serial and prop number markings and of SFA stamps on the flat side of the hub of another Ratier prop (serial 7Bis number 850, made in 1916). The SFA stamps were printed before bolt holes, so they can be partially "removed". The interseting numbers are 26 and 10 on this one. There is one or two more SFA stamps on the round sides. Picture of it (them ?) are interesting for me, as I try to know what they are for and when they were made.

Regards,
PM