Looking for Identification and value for Axial WWI prop

[chrisx]

Hello,

my father has an WWI-Axial prop and wants to give it to me.

I'm looking for identification and if possible apr. value.

Print reads as:
13708 serial number
AXIAL
BERLIN
160PS D278 ST215
TP90E
EDUL ZUG

I read about the meanings in this forum, but I didn't find a similar prop.

Can anyone give details to the type of plane e.g.?
And how much is it worth?
How much does it weigh? I'm thinking of hanging it in my house...

Thankful for any replies.

Best Regards

Chris Peters

[Dbahnson]

You owe your father a debt of gratitude. German propellers in original condition are not all that common, partly due to the destruction of most of them as part of the armistice after WW1. And having one with an intact metal hub is a bonus.

You should purchase Bob Gardner's book German Propeller Makers of WW1: Part One. He has several excellent pages about Axial propellers, including a list of aircraft associated with propeller numbers. In it he lists your model number "TP90E" as used on a Fokker DVII using the Mercedes 160 HP engine. Having a copy of his book kept with the propeller increases its value should it ever be sold. Actually, you should buy his full collection on German propellers.

I would estimate the present market value would be somewhere in the $6000 to $8000 range, but that's just a guess, and its future value is likely to be considerably higher. Be careful not to alter it in any way, as that just cuts it value down considerably. It's certainly a "collectible" item in my opinion.

[chrisx]

Thank you very much for the information and your help.

If I understand right, it's not sure, that it was used on a Fokker DVII?

Does anyone know details about the exact plane?
Is it maybe possible to get more information through the serial numer?

[Dbahnson]

It's extremely rare to be able to trace a propeller to a specific aircraft, and that's usually done by logbook entries rather than information on the propeller. A rare exception occurred with some German propellers having the aircraft number painted on the prop, like this one, also for a D VIII.



According to Bob Gardner's book, the "TP90E" is specific to the D VIII, but I think that's as much information as you will be able to get, and that's more than many propellers. Many can't be identified at all.