Prop i.d. please.

[Bob Gardner]

I too suspect that it is British and from WW2.

The fabric is actually a material impregnated with resin which produced a very durable finish. The stuff is almost impossible to get off. British WW2 wooden props and prop blades were painted black with yellow tips.
With kind regards,

Bob

[Bob Gardner]

Postscript; the diameter of 6ft 6ins was used on the Cirrus Major 3, the Gipsy III and the Gipsy Major I engines on de Havilland aircraft such as the DH 90 Dragonfly. But your prop is too big for a Tiger Moth which used similar engines. Thousands of these were made for use as basic trainers before and during WW2, but the prop had a diameter of 6.4ft, not 6.5ft.

Bob

[Jaross]

Bob, many thanks for the feedback, you kind of backed up what I thought, I really didn't think I could get it back to wood, so I may re paint it black with yellow tips I assume it would be a matt finish ? The diameter discrepency is a little odd
What is it about propellers????! John.

[Bob Gardner]

John,

It might well be a Tiger Moth prop with half an inch trimmed off each end, to tidy up tip damage. By the way, are both blades the same length? Always worth checking. The black is not matt black ( it might have been when first applied); it's a semi-matt black; perhaps a satin finsh would be the best description.

Bob

[Jaross]

Bob, both blades are 37 3/4 inch and the copper sheathing goes right to the end with no evidence of it having been tampered with, in fact the filled rivet is right at the end.

Just out of interest I have two different ww1 propeller tip photo frames and I wondered if I sent you some photos if you could i.d. them?
John.

[Bob Gardner]

It seems then that your prop is from one of the lesser types of pre-war Moth which was commandeered by the RAF at the start of the war.

I suggest that you post the photos of the blade tips here, for the benefit of all our forumites. But the chances of identifying a prop tip are not high.

With kind regards,

Bob

[Jaross]

By the way I measured the lengths of the blades from the outside of the centre hole !
I will post the tips in early wooden propellers when I get a chance,thanks for your time, John.