G. Merville prop

[kbinsted]

I'm a new member, so please forgive me if I commit any faux pas!

I just bought a G. Merville prop (max 6 images attached). I did a naive Google search on the N number (N17489) and this De Havilland DH-82 Tiger Moth popped up: https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/n17489

Is this a correct ID of the plane it was once attached to? Can anyone tell me anything else about the prop?

Many thanks!

Kim

[kbinsted]

7th image

[Dbahnson]

No, I think that "N" number is production number. The Tiger Moth used various Gypsy engines which used left hand threaded propellers. Yours is a right hand rotation ("thread") commonly used on U.S. manufactured aircraft. I think the "Cont 90" refers to a Continental 90 HP engine which was also used on a variety of U.S. built aircraft, most of which were manufactured in the 40s and 50s but many of which are still in operation.

[Mtskull]

The clues are all in the fourth photo: CV is an abbreviation for Chevaux, literally meaning horses in French. JOD D117 denotes Jodel D117, a French designed light touring monoplane, which used the 90hp Continental engine.

[kbinsted]

Thank you so much for the great info! I got my hopes up about the still-flying Tiger Moth, but accurate information is always more valuable than fantasies.

[pmdec]

Hi,

Dave and Mtskull have already written the main thing. I just add some details:

Markings:
- Side 1:
-- TYPE 929 : TYPE = Serial. It is the drawing number. Merville serial 929 was
-- N 17489 : N = Number. It is the prop number. During year 1957, Merville made propellers from around number 17400 to number between 17600 and 17700.

- Side 2:
-- JOD D117: plane marking for Jodel D-117
-- CONT 90 CV: engine marking for Continental 90 HP

-Flat side:
-- 17489: prop number (same as side 1, used along prop making, before "lateral" sides stamped.
-- 1 8 57: gluing date or inspection date (August 1st 1957).

On each blade foot: G Merville Billancourt for Georges Merville (the founder of the company in the early 20's) and Billancourt, a town near Paris where was the factory was in the 50's and which is now Boulogne-Billancourt.

Could you give me the exact length? I think it it somewhere around 183 cm (72.05"), but I will appreciate an exact number.

Regards,
PM

[kbinsted]

Thank you all for the great info! According to my tape measure, it's 182.5cm.

[kbinsted]

Oh, and you said:

"-- TYPE 929 : TYPE = Serial. It is the drawing number. Merville serial 929 was"

Was there something you were going to add there?

[pmdec]

Hi kbinsted,

Thank you for the exact length! It was what I wanted to add but I didn't found it in my documentation and I forgot to change my writings...

I just can add that Merville factory has been bought by Evra ~40 years ago: https://helices-evra.com/ (you can change French to English at the top right of the page).


Best regards,
PM