Another ID request

[daveuk]

Hi All
I'm new to the forum and I've had a interest in collecting aircraft bits for a while.
I've recently picked up a couple of wooden props and hope that someone can help with identifing.
The first is a single blade with a F. Tibbenham Ipswich label. There are no numbers stamped so I know it will be impossible to identify the aircraft type it was used on. It is 10 inches across at the widest point. There is an old typed sticker with '1914-1918 Ex. Boscombe Down Wiltshire'. As the makers label is still there does this mean that the propeller wasn't used, as I imagine it would quickly wear off in use?

The second is a hub section 34inches long, 2 inch thick, centre hole 3 inches.
On the front is marked G611 N64. On one side of the hub is 545 HP SS0X, on the other is 2520 1580. Thre is also AID 5.
There is one on ebay uk at the moment that is very similar (item 300669871304) that is being sold as an airship generator propeller. Could mine be the same?
Many thanks

[pmdec]

Hi,
For me, the best the small "prop" could be is a cut delaminated prop with partial markings remaining. Same for the eBay one.
But it's just from me.
Regards,
PM

[Dave]

I'd think the small prop is an auxilliary prop of some kind. The boss looks finished rather than delaminated, and the 2 holes suggest a hub assembly that doesn't reguire a lot of torque strength.

I'm not sure what the typed sticker is on yours, but it may be something that was simply added later. Usually a fully decaled blade like this is from a complete one that was damaged.

[pmdec]

Hi Dave,
Look at the third picture. Markings could be the remain of :

??? | 545
90 | HP
CURTI | SS OX

"90" is for example, but there were prop with 2520 dia and 1580 pitch for the Curtiss OX (AD543, AD544, and other with no measurement known).

And it seems to me there are 8 holes on second picture (the two on the blades are to fix it or something to it).

Regards,
PM

[Dave]

You may be right. Maybe measuring the center hole diameter and the bolt hole circle would confirm an OX5 size.

[daveuk]

Hi
I have measured the hub and the centre hole is 2 3/4 inches and the bolt hole circle is 5 1/4 inches.
Looking again at the two holes drilled outside the bolt holes I'm thinking they must have been made for wall mounting as they don't line up through the middle of the centre hole.
Also noticed a single 0 stamped into the rear side between the bolt holes, and why would the bolt holes have been plugged?
Thanks again.

[Dave]

PM is probably right, then. It may very well just be a piece from the laminations of an OX5 propeller.

[daveuk]

After I wrote this first thread I've been browsing through the Modern prop forum and found that an ID question was asked by the previous owner of my actual prop.

Bob Gardner tells him that G611 N64 was a British batch made in 1917.
So together with pmdec's deduction that it has markings for a Curtis OX5 there is a good chance that this was used on a Curtiss JN-4 Jenny by the RFC.
What are your thoughts?

Thanks

[Dave]

Regardless of the actual usage of that propeller, it is still only 2 inches thick and 34 inches long. That's half the thickness and less than half the diameter of any propeller that would have been used on a JN4 with an OX5 engine. So no matter what it went to it's only a fragment of the original propeller.

I'm not sure how far you need to pursue this, except out of pure curiosity. It's not worth much as a collectible. Just my 2 cents . . .

[daveuk]

I asked the original question as I was interested to find some history behind the piece. I appreciate the useful information given.

[Dave]

It's very rare to find any "history" behind a piece like this. "Identification" yes, but history not so much.