I have this propeller??

[GARY GONZALES]

The propeller is made of laminated mahogany. It is 8ft.1/4in. tip to tip. The hub is 9 inches in diameter and appears to have an indentation where a metal plate may have been. The hub is 4 1/16 inches thick (front to back.) There are 8, 1/4 inch bolt holes at a 2 5/8 inch radius and the center hole is 2 5/8 inches in diameter. The blade is 11.5 inches wide at its widest point along it's length. The leading edge toward the tips and the tips of the blade may have been copper clad. The front of the prop is stamped with what appears to be black ink with the following:

2.

8' x 5'


SF-995-1 214

T. M.

I will add some pictures showing different views of this propeller when I figure out how to do it. I'm really new to this endeavor and I don't know my way around a computer. Thanks for your help! I appologize for any mistakes I've made in this format.

[Dave]

Are you sure that the bolt holes are 1/4" diameter? (You can use a regular 1/4" and 5/16" drill to "measure" it more accurately.) Also, if the hub has an indentation, what it the diameter of the indentation itself?

It sounds like an OX5 hub, but the dimensions you've listed don't quite fit. Check this chart to see if you can match it with an engine.

[GARY GONZALES]

Correction...??

You're right! The bolt holes are 5/16". The prop has been "used" in the past and the holes are a sloppy 5/16". The diameter of the indentation of the metal plate is 6". Thanks for your response and thanks for keeping me honest!
Gary

[Dave]

So that makes it likely to be an OX5 engine driven propeller. The are lots of possibilities for what aircraft it might have been designed for, however, and it may not be possible to narrow it down much further. Even the time frame can range from the mid teens to the mid 30's.

[GARY GONZALES]

Seeking more information....

DAVE,
ACCORDING TO THE CHART, THE CURTIS OX5 WAS A 90 hp, 1400 rpm ENGINE. DO YOU KNOW, GENERALLY, IN WHAT KIND OF AIRPLANE(S) THIS ENGINE WAS USED? ANY INFORMATION WOULD BE APPRECIATED. THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND GETTING ME STARTED IN THIS FORUM.
GARY

[Dave]

Well, certainly one of the best known was the Curtiss JN4, or "Jenny", used as a trainer in the teens and by barnstormers for some time after that, and many OX5 props that are around today were actually made for the Jenny, but you can't always tell that without more definite stampings on the hub. Generally, propellers were made for a specific engine, then airplanes with that engine would designate specific diameters and pitch parameters to use for that model.

Yours is stamped with a diamter of 8 feet and a pitch of 5 feet, which is certainly consistent with use on the JN4. Unfortunately, I don't know the significance of the "SF-995-1 214/ T. M." stampings on yours. Maybe someone else will.

[GARY GONZALES]

Thanks!

Thanks for your information. I'll be patient and see if anyone else contributes to this search.
Gary