Heine & Sensenich Propeller Found, Info?

[propellerJake]

Good Afternoon All,

I have found a Heine propeller (104.5 inches long). The owner thinks is from late WWI and is asking $1500 for it. There is some damage on the back (see picture). Before I get too excited and buy it, I just want to make sure its really WWI and I am not paying too much. Looking to display in in the living room. I appreciate any info on it!

What plane is it from?
What is it worth?

Second propeller is a 6ft Sensenich. He's asking $500 for it

Jake

[propellerJake]

Sensenich Photos

[Dbahnson]

The Heine certainly looks like a post WW1 model. They rarely had metal sheathing on the early Heine propellers. It's also been altered at the hub. No one really knows what it's worth, but I'd be reluctant to pay $1500 for it.

From what I can see on the Sensenich you can't go wrong with $500 for it, especially with the older Lititz decals. Are there numbers stamped on it? It's always nicer to know what it was used on, but my guess is that it's a very common model used on Cubs, Taylorcrafts, etc. typically with 65 HP engines.

[propellerJake]

Yeah, he said the hub was altered to fit a clock and now it just has a roman numerals number cap over the hub. He said his bottom dollar on the large prop is $1,000 bucks.

Attached is a photo of the numbers off the Sensenich.
DES 70D42
SER 43254
HP 80 MAX
RPM 2700 MAX

[propellerJake]

Also, on the Heine propeller the only numbers I could make out are 2031.

[Dbahnson]

I'd stay away from the Heine, even at $1000, but go for the Sensenich. See 70D42 on this list for applicable aircraft. You might be stuck with the Heine, but I'm guessing you could make a profit the next day on the Sensenich.

[propellerJake]

I asked the owner how he knew it was a Heine and he said someone told him. I also got a picture of the hub with the clock face removed. It appears the prop may have been refinished? Thoughts

[Dbahnson]

Heine propellers were typically stamped Heine and many had a trademark stamp as well. Decals didn't appear until after WW1, as I recall. Something's been done to the hub, but it's hard to tell what.

I've come to dis-believe the hearsay that surrounds most of these props, and generally more concrete documentation is needed to establish any kind of reasonable validity.

[propellerJake]

Yeah I'm just not sure, could it possibly be a Paragon "Jenny"?

All said, what would be a fair price? I don't think he knows much about it so I want to present a fair price given the limited decals and damaged hub. Seems the historical value may be diminished but still would be a nice wall hanger.

[Dbahnson]

It's not a Paragon, I don't think, and if so it isn't particularly valuable.

I would look at it as "a propeller looking object without much to identify it and with evidence of restoration and of hub alterations". In other words, it's never going to be worth much. If you need a low number, I'd go with $500, but I'd never buy it at that price. I think the Sensenich is more likely to hold its value, even if it's not as glamorous.

[propellerJake]

Thanks for all the info and advice, I bought the Sensenich which is in nice condition and the decals have nice patina. I passed on the large "unknown" prop.

I found another "unknown" prop, owner bought it at an "emotional" auction for a cool man-cave addition but its too long (7 1/2 ft) and wants to part ways. He cannot find any markings or numbers and its obviously a bit rough. Wants 300 bucks, do you have any idea what it could be?

Thanks!

[Dbahnson]

Like a lot of props with no markings it could be "almost anything".

If it isn't identifiable now it's unlikely that it will ever be, and that's unlike your Sensenich, for instance, which will be identifiable 100 years from now.

It's probably worth 300 bucks, but that's mostly because it's a mystery and looks "old" and not much else. At least it hasn't been refinished, so there is a certain value to being original, almost no matter how rough it may look.

[propellerJake]

I bought the prop, has a decent amount of damage and some of the wood layers are separating but still all together. There is obvious glue where someone at what time tried to fix it. The metal sheathed is decent and looks like it has some type of yellow paint residue on the ends. Attached are a few photos of the only numbers I could find around the hub. There a number 1 and across the hub a number 2. Then up top around the hub are the numbers "A 6859". Thoughts?

[propellerJake]

I think I may have narrowed down what it is. I think it may be a Sensenich maybe off a PT-17 220hp Continental Radial engine? Below is a link to a prop that looks very similar, only 8 inches longer. My prop also has what appears to be remnants of yellow paint on the tips. Also the prop below has similar numbers and location stamped around the hub. The prop below is stamped "B7419" and my prop is stamped "A6859", could this be an earlier Sensenich?

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthoped...-inch-53246808

[propellerJake]

Additional photos