Help ID my Paragon prop

[DavidK]

This has been in my family before anyone can remember. The most prevelent story is that it's an "experimental prototype" of a new design Paragon was working on. Have no idea of the year...but the TM and design looks like the pics on the early group. It is 6'3" tall; blade is 7 1/2 wide at widest point; center hub is 11 3/4" dia at rear; 7 1/2" dia at front; center hole is 3 1/8" dia; has 6 bolt holes encircling center hole. There is some sort of metal partially covering leading edges and tips. It has a Paragon TM sticker on front. I am attaching pics and hope someone can help give me a year and possibly what type plane was used on. My family is located in Baltimore Md and had a few relatives that worked for Martin Marietta when it was an active production plant. Please advise if need more info or pics. Unfortunately both my grand parents are deceased and have limited info sources. Thank you for any help you may be able to give.

David Krauss

[Dave]

Without any identifying stampings on it that one's going to be very difficult to identify.

The integral hub, the length (relatively short), the 6 bolt hole hub, the general blade design, and the metal sheathing all suggest a more modern design, perhaps in the 30's or so. I'm not sure when Paragon went out of business or what their decals looked like in the years after WW1, but my guess is that yours is from that era.

If there are any stampings or any readable information on the decal, that would be most helpful.

[DavidK]

I sent you a private message cause I didn't know how to do this till now. LOL Did you get the additional info I sent you? Let me know please cause I saved a copy and can cut and paste to here if that's what I'm supposed to do. David

[DavidK]

Paragon prop update

Without any identifying stampings on it that one's going to be very difficult to identify.

The integral hub, the length (relatively short), the 6 bolt hole hub, the general blade design, and the metal sheathing all suggest a more modern design, perhaps in the 30's or so. I'm not sure when Paragon went out of business or what their decals looked like in the years after WW1, but my guess is that yours is from that era.

If there are any stampings or any readable information on the decal, that would be most helpful.

__________________________________________________ ________

Thank you for the reply to my forum post. I can't figure out how to reply there so I came here. I have gone into a old tupperware tub I put a pile of old mags from my grand mothers basement. I have found a 1/2 dozen aviation magazines.....several intact and good condition....from 1911 to 1923. Airscout, Aviation, Aerial Age Weekly, and Aircraft Engeneering from Great Britain. I also found a U.S Army Air Forces Silhouette Handbook from Sept 1942 that is marked restricted and not to be shown or acknowleged to ANY unauthorized personel. It's for pilots and contains silhouette's of American military aircraft for indentification purposes. I would like to know any sites I can go to for info on value if any.

I also found order forms and engeneering notes on Paragon paperwork for propellers. I stated in my forum post that the prevailing story was that the prop was a prototype or first "edition" of a new prop. The orders are dated from 1918 to 1920 with all the design notes: length, pitch, order no, wood type, pattern no, and stuff I don't understand. Looking at the orders I see seveal for props during 1920 that were 6' and 6' 6" so I am assuming mine was made in 1920. The decal you see in the pic is intact and visable. It looks exactly like the one shown in the pic on the home page link. I have the cardboard scaled "temp plates"? Appears the designers made blueprints to scale and cut them out with notes to the factory operators hand written on them. I am interested in knowing if there are any sites with info on whether or not any of this is of value.

I would appreciate any information you can give me pertaining to the mags, prop, or design/order forms. Thank you for your help.

[Bob Gardner]

Wow!

Congratulations. It is extremely rare to find such documentation with a prop.

With kind regards,

Bob