Avro 504K propeller

[masonel]

Hi guys,

My Grandma has an old propellor hub that has been turned into a mounting for a barometer, and has asked if I can find anything out about the aircraft it came from.

The back reads:

Y503
110hp
Le Rhone
Type 504K
G804N9
Dia 2744
Pitch 2655


Now, from my own knowledge and from browsing on here I know that it is from an Avro 504K with the 110hp Le Rhone engine, I know what the Y503 stands for (the drawing number for the propellor design - Y indicates it is an A.V.Roe design)

Can anybody help with the British Ministry of Munitions serial numbers (G804 N9) - can they be linked to an aircraft, can they give a date of manufacture?

[Dave]

Check out the other thread in this category, where there is some information about the 504. Maybe Bob Gardner's new book will have information about dating of manufacture using the "G" and "N" numbers. I'm waiting for my copy of it, which I've just ordered.

[Bob Gardner]

Greetings Dave; welcome Masonel,

I haven't really got sufficient data yet on G batch numbers, only about 180 out of the 1200 allocated by the end of WW1. But this is sufficient to begin to indicate some approximate dates.

This system of having a universal system of identifying individual props began late in September 1917 and continued well into the late 1920's, by when G numbers had reached 4000.

A G number indicates a batch for 100 props allocated to a maker. Normally a batch would be entirely for one type of prop, but some makers who had several contracts for props running at the same time would include two and sometimes three different types of prop within one batch. Also, where a contract was for topping-up props as-and-when required, a G number could cover one or two years.

Your G number of 804 comes from near the end of 1918.

With kind regards,

Bob

[masonel]

Hi Dave & Bob,

thanks for your answers, you have been most helpful.

I guess that, although we can know a rough date (and maybe an exact one in the future) there is no chance of matching the propeller to an airframe?

Thanks again.

[Bob Gardner]

Sadly there is never any way of attributing a prop to a particular aircraft, except very occasionally I come across a WW1 German prop which has an aircraft number on it. Also aircraft props were disposables and were often replaced several times.

With kind regards,

Bob

[masonel]

I feared as much.

Thanks again for all your help!

[Dave]

Sadly there is never any way of attributing a prop to a particular aircraft, except very occasionally I come across a WW1 German prop which has an aircraft number on it. Also aircraft props were disposables and were often replaced several times.


Bob

. . . like this one, a Fokker DVII prop with the aircraft number and the date on it. Unfortunately, I can't find out anything famous about that specific plane.

[Bob Gardner]

Yes,

That was the one I had in mind! The green eyed monster takes over my psyche when ever I see it.

Bob

[masonel]

As an aside, I recently visited the Muckleburgh Collection (near Sheringham, Norfolk) and they have a handful of wooden propellers on show. Would you be interesterd in a few photos?

[Bob Gardner]

'Morning,

I haven't heard of Muckleburgh. Sounds as though it should be in Scotland, not Norfolk! I'd very much like to see your photographs and so would your fellow forumites. Do you have photos of the data on them?

With kind regards,

Bob

[masonel]

I'm afraid there are not many photos - I was mostly there for the vehicles.









There are some other propellors, but mostly hanging from the ceiling. The Collection is mostly vehicles, so I was quite suprised to see these.
Hope you enjoy them.

Um - do you want me to re-post smaller versions of the pictures?

[Bob Gardner]

Greetings Masonel,

Many thanks for these photographs. I have added Muckleburgh to my list of places to visit. I think you have won the record for the largest photos ever posted on the forum! I didn't know the website could accept them that big.

The wasp decal is from a firm in Ipswich called Tibbenhams who primarily made props for the Royal Aircraft Factory. As the plaque on the other side states this prop was from a RE8 designed by the Royal Aircraft Factory.

The other prop is from the famous SE5A. The G and N numbers record a batch number of 100. I sold an identical one recently with the G number of 1291 so G1296 in your photo reveals that a contract for at least 500 props was placed with this firm, which was usual. This tiny bit of data has been added to my database like a piece of jigsaw and a complete area of production has been revealed. I am most grateful.

With kind regards,

Bob