Curtiss OXX-6 Prop

[olbuzzardbait]

My latest research leads me to believe my prop may be a Sensenich or Gardner laminated mahogany prop (although i don't see a stamped matching drawing number). It is 8' in diameter, with an 8-bolt pattern in an 8 3/4 " center w/ a 2 1/2"shaft hole. It has copper covered end caps with rivets and lead (?) balancing(?) filler on one cap. The i.d. info includes: the # "70" w/ an anchor &"U. S". below : also, "OXX-6"; and, "SE274". I believe that it was made for a Curtiss OXX-6 engine and the anchor may mean the engine was installed on a US Navy plane...What does this info tell you? Thank you for any help.

[Dave]

I think you're on the right track, except that Sensenich started much later (1932) and to my knowledge Gardner wasn't making props that early either. I suspect the "SE" along with the 274 refers to a drawing number and that the "SE" part refers to "Steam Engineering", the Navy division that was responsible for procuring props for their use on Navy Flying boats. It is more likely that yours is from the late teens or early twenties.

I don't have any reference to that specific drawing number (SE274), however.

Can you post a picture?

[olbuzzardbait]

Curtiss OXX-6 Prop Pictures

Thanks, Dave! I appreciate your response. I'll post pictures of the prop as soon as I figure out how to do it properly.
regrds, Bob

[ClydeO]

Curtiss OXX-6 Propeller

I, too, have an 8' wooden propeller with the following markings:
"SE274, LH, OXX-6, 261 (US anchor)" and was told in 1980 that it was used on a Curtiss MF Flying Boat.

[ggodshall]

i've got one too.

SE274, oxx-6, LH. US Navy. Guess it's not so rare. Mine was never installed and in original condition. So i got that going for it. Thanks for sharing guys!

[Dbahnson]

SE274, oxx-6, LH. US Navy.

"SE" is "Steam Engineering", the agency responsible for procuring propellers for the U.S. Navy in the late teens/early twenties.

"OXX-6" is the Curtiss engine used on a variety of flying boats and other aircraft.

"LH" indicates a left hand thread, which on the Curtiss OXX-6 meant that it was for a pusher configuration, since the engine was turned around "backwards" from the normal tractor configuration (which would have been "RH", for right hand).