Curtiss SE5 Propeller?

[Txnmikea]

I've recently acquired this antique propeller. The man I bought it from said it was from WWI and had come through his family from a grandfather who used to work at a small airstrip.

From my research, I've come to believe it's from a Curtiss SE5. This is based on the picture on this link: http://woodenpropeller.com/SE_5A.html

All the details are identical from what I can tell, down to the look of the patina. Mine is 92" long. There are no visible dings or scratches, it appears the underlying wood and metal are in perfect condition.

Mine has the original cork in the bolt holes, which I believe means it was never used.

I'm new to this and would really appreciate some wisdom here, including a possible value for this. THANKS!!

Here are some pics of mine:

[JR44]

Hi there, your photos haven't worked.

[Bob Gardner]

I don't understand your expression 'a Curtiss SE5'. I don't know of any relationship between Curtiss, an American company, and the SE5 designed by Folland, Kenworthy and Major Gooden of the British Royal Aircraft Factory.

It is possible that Great Britain gave an SE5A to the US Army circa 1917 to try out, but I am not aware of the US Army buying any.

The photograph might originate from Dave Bahnson, who may be able to offer come elucidation?

With kind regards,

Bob

[Dbahnson]

I don't understand your expression 'a Curtiss SE5'. I don't know of any relationship between Curtiss, an American company, and the SE5 designed by Folland, Kenworthy and Major Gooden of the British Royal Aircraft Factory.

It is possible that Great Britain gave an SE5A to the US Army circa 1917 to try out, but I am not aware of the US Army buying any.

The photograph might originate from Dave Bahnson, who may be able to offer come elucidation?

With kind regards,

Bob

I think your bolded statement is the explanation. The prop that I owned years ago was stamped "Plane SE5" but had a Curtiss decal on the blade and also had an "SC" number, typically indicating "Signal Corps". So I think that it is a Curtiss manufactured propeller designed to be used on a British SE5 by the Signal Corps, but I have no idea how they may have acquired an SE5.

I do believe that there were a number of European aircraft present at McCook Field near the end of WW1, perhaps for training or possibly research and development.

[Gabriel]

I don't understand your expression 'a Curtiss SE5'. I don't know of any relationship between Curtiss, an American company, and the SE5 designed by Folland, Kenworthy and Major Gooden of the British Royal Aircraft Factory.

It is possible that Great Britain gave an SE5A to the US Army circa 1917 to try out, but I am not aware of the US Army buying any.

Hello Bob,

This might provide some enlightenment:

”When the United States entered World War I, plans called for American manufacturers to mass produce aircraft already in use by the Allies. One of the fighters chosen was the British S.E.5A, designed by the Royal Aircraft Factory.

For its pilots already in Europe, the American Expeditionary Force bought 38 S.E.5A aircraft from Great Britain, and in the United States, the government placed orders with the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motors Corp. The Armistice halted production after Curtiss had completed only one S.E.5A, but 56 more were constructed from components shipped from Great Britain. In 1922 the Eberhart Steel Products Co. received a contract to rebuild 50 of the Army Air Service's S.E.5A aircraft using 180-hp Wright-Hispano "E" engines.“



That would make this Curtiss SE5 propeller quite rare!

The Eberhart aircraft received the designation S.E.5E and I suppose it's possible some of the Curtiss propellers, and other parts, got used on the 50 (or 62, depending who you believe) aircraft that Eberhart built. A few of these SE5E aircraft still exist in museums and with private owners/collectors, and at least one (until recently) airworthy.

Kind regards,

Gabriel

[Dbahnson]

It's certainly not a commonly found propeller. (I owned and sold the one you mentioned in your original post.) But keep in mind that propeller production for a specific aircraft usually exceeded aircraft production by a significant number, as propellers were predictably damaged even in normal operations and had to be replaced frequently, which is why many of them appear as surplus having never been mounted. The aircraft became obsolete before all of the propellers were needed.