Felixstowe 5L Propeller - Identification and Appraisal Request

[oceans34]

Hello!

I'd like to confirm that the propeller pictured in the attached photos is indeed from a Felixstowe 5L. Any information you have about the propeller, its estimated value, and the aircraft it came from would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[Dbahnson]

Yes, it's clearly stamped for the F 5 L and everything else is consistent with that designation. The "SE" in "SE 5111' refers to "Steam Engineering", which was the department of the Navy that was responsible for procurement of propellers. The "L" in F5L refers to its use with a Liberty engine. As noted in the Wikipedia article, it appeared at the end of WW1, when the Navy was developing a large number of flying boats.

The decal for Matthews Brothers is seen on several other propellers from that era. Note the "Hamilton" name across the logo. Thomas Hamilton was the manager at Matthews Bros. and later went on to build Hamilton propellers, which then merged with Standard Steel to become the well known Hamilton Standard Propellers, now United Technologies. See this propeller from a similar era at the end of WW1.

It looks to be in original condition so you should keep it that way and not try to "restore" it in any manner. I would guess a market value of $1500 to $2500, but an asking price on eBay might be higher than that.