Continental Motors Propeller

[tamprop]

I bought this propeller yesterday and can see from the plate on the hub that it was manufactured by Continental Motors. I googled the company and learned that they moved into aviation starting in 1929, so I know this propeller is at least post-1929.

It's in pretty rough shape but I like the authenticity and don't plan to change anything. Aside from wiping it down with a damp cloth, is there anything else you might suggest to help with longevity?

In one of the photos I can make out the number 54359.

Anything you might be able to add about this propeller would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Dbahnson]

I'm not aware of any propellers made by Continental, although they certainly manufactured a lot of aircraft engines. I'm wondering if that's just a decorative plate that either happened to fit that hub or was taken from something else and milled to fit the prop.

The propeller just looks like a commonly found 72 inch model that fit a lot of different aircraft, many with Continental engines. A typical aircraft propeller hub will have a metal crank shaft extension going all the way through the hub, not a solid plate that completely covers the hub.

Here's a typical arrangement:

[tamprop]

Thank you for your response and for posting the photo. For someone who knows nothing about propellers, I didn't really think through how it would have been connected to the plane.

Your theory about the plate makes perfect sense. I looked closer and it does appear that the plate was cut just right fit that hub space. Since the propeller will be more of a conversation piece than anything else, it makes me wonder even more what the backstory is. That's what I love about random finds like these.

Can you give me a general sense of when wooden propellers were used, or perhaps the point when they were no longer used just so I can approximate the age?

Thanks again.

[Dbahnson]

Wooden propellers are still in use on a number of certificated aircraft, and you can almost certainly buy a brand new version of that propeller, although there were hundreds of different models that all look the same. Usually a model number is stamped somewhere on the hub.

Just looking at probabilities I'd guess yours was manufactured in the 1940s or 50s and was used on a small 4 cylinder engine. If you measure it from tip to tip, that number in inches will be the prefix for some examples in this Sensenich listing. So if it's 72 inches long, look at all of the models that begin with "72" on that list and you'll get an idea of what it may have been used on.

[tamprop]

UPDATE: Continental Motors responded

I noticed that Continental Motors had the same plate on one of their "Throwback Thursday" FaceBook pages, so I contacted them to see if they could give me any information. Here's the response I received:

"That's a pretty cool piece you've acquired! We reached out to some of our team members for info and they were excited to see this propeller.

According to our team, wooden props were sent out back in the day with this Moisture Impervious Plate to keep moisture out of the prop. The prop would have come from the airframe manufacturer, not Continental-the engine manufacturer.

Based on the Continental Motors Powerful as the nation logo, this propeller could date back to the 40s but could also be from more recent years since there are aftermarket plates available as you can see here http://bit.ly/2y8DxZE . The propeller could have gone with our A64, A75, A80, C75, C85, C90 which are engines that we no longer make. It could have also come from an early O-200.

We hope you enjoy this piece of history. It's a gem!"