identify wooden old Propeller

[chrisheine]

Hello
who can tell which aircraft the propeller is from. How old approx. I got it from deceased WWII pilots. Overall length 163 cm. the propeller is in very good condition and was stored well packed in a dry place.

thank you...for infos

[pmdec]

Hi,

The only way to, perhaps, know the aircraft this propeller was made for is to read the markings which are on the sides of the hub (the central part. If there are no markings, nobody could tell its destination).
Anyway, the prop is not "old" (relatively to the way this site is organized) nor in good shape:
- It was probably made between 1950 and 1980 for a small aircraft with about 60HP engine,
- the hub has been destroyed to fit a barometer or a clock,
- it has loose its original aspect: There was some fabric near the tips and it was probably painted, at least partially.

Sorry to be the one who gives the bad news but somebody has to...

Regards,
PM

[chrisheine]

Hello

it is an original Prop. Thanks

[sanger22]

Hello
I don’t think anyone is saying the propeller isn’t original. The propeller just isn’t considered old as it relates to early or pre ww1 propellers that are discussed on this site. He is also pointing out that it has been altered in the hub area and probably refinished at some point. So although it is an original prop it isn’t in its original state.

[Dbahnson]

Propellers for aircraft were similar to tires for a car. Most aircraft would go through a number of propellers in the aircraft's life span, and there were hundreds of different models made by dozens and dozens of different manufacturers.

When one like this turns up it's like finding a piece of tire with the identifying numbers all worn off. About all you know is that it's an old tire and has been destroyed by accident or intentional abuse. It's virtually impossible to identify with any certainty, and making a guess doesn't really add anything to its already low value.

[JR44]

Whatever it is, it has some age to it and would look cool on a wall displayed hiding the damage to the hub.

[Dbahnson]

Hello

it is an original Prop. Thanks

There is actually a difference between an "original prop" and a prop in "original condition".

Original means that it's not a reproduction.

Original condition means that it has not been altered after manufacture except by normal use and/or natural aging of materials - including varnish, paint, decals, oxidation of metal, and the wood itself. Something as seemingly as simple as polishing the metal sheathing on the tips reduces its value as partially "restored".

See this page for additional guidance. As a (former) collector I would consider the propeller in question as nearly worthless compared to an identical one with frayed fabric, faded paint, nicks in the wood, crinkled varnish, etc., but with no evidence of any attempt at "restoration" or alteration.

For some reason lots of owners seem to have been compelled to cut out the hub and insert a clock or a barometer in its center. Eventually the clock gets removed and leaves the kind of crater in the hub seen in this one.