Help with identifying a propeller

[scohen72]

Hello, I am new to the forum and wanted to see if anyone could help me identify a propeller that I have. Here’s the back story on the propeller. It belonged to my grandfather and was hanging on the side of his garage as long as I can remember. When I was a kid I always wanted to have it one day to hang in my home. My grandfather passed in 1989 and the propeller sat in my parents garage until about a year ago when they moved. I had forgotten about it and while helping them pack found it and brought it home. I’m am interested in finding out more about it, who the manufacturer is, what it looked like new and who might be able to restore it to its original condition. I’m hoping to find someone to restore it in the Greater Los Angeles area or Southern California if possible. If not I can send it wherever. I just want to bring it back to it’s original state in honor of my grandfather. It’s a special piece to me and I’m not concerned about it’s value, I would never sell it. Thank you for you help in advance!

I’ve attached a few photos of it but here are the dimensions/markings that I can see.

It’s 90.5 inches long

Front Side
RNG R 755 9
HP 225 RPM 2000
AT 17
DWC NO 43K
SER NO AC 43 14030

Back Side
K 14030
2

[Dbahnson]

The "43K" prefix means that it was made under a 1943 military contract, and actually the full number, "43K13605" corresponds to the civilian model number 90JA-81. (See this page published by Sensenich, the likely manufacturer.) Then you can go to the Sensenich page to look up the civilian model number, which you'll see shows its usage on the Cessna AT17 "Bobcat", which also went by a variety of other names, including the "Bamboo Bomber". The stamping on your prop confirms its use on that aircraft with the Jacobs engine.

While Sensenich was the likely manufacturer, other manufacturers may have made that same model number, and the only difference would have been their manufacturer's decals on the blades. I can't tell if there are decal remnants on the blades of yours, but if there are you could post a close up of the area and we might be able to decipher it.

There are quite a few remaining propellers of this model. They were produced in large numbers by both U.S. and Canadian manufacturers, but during that time a much more efficient metal propeller replaced them on most operating aircraft at the time and their propellers became surplus. Many of them had never actually been mounted and used before they became obsolete. Often you will see "witness marks" on the hub where the compression plate on the metal hub indented the wood, but I don't see that on yours - at least suggesting that it was never actually mounted and used.




The AT17 was seen often in the Sky King television series.










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[scohen72]

Thank you very much for the great information!! Much appreciated!!