Newbie Propeller I.D. question

[gmkmd]

Hello,
First, let me say that this is a really cool website!
Anyway, I just got an old wooden propellor, and there are no decals so I'm having trouble ID'ing it. I looked on the photo gallery, and it is shaped like either a Hatzel Liberty or a Star Piano. The bolt holes are positioned like the Hartzell, but the shape of the copper sheathing on the tips is more like the Star. The markings are as follows (I think- they are weak):

1
OX5 (or ON5)
8.X53
S.C. 41782

Thanks for your help!

[gmkmd]

Oh, I forgot to mention, the length is 8 feet even.

[Dave]

Probably OX5, which is the engine used, but it could have been used on quite a few different types of airplanes. The Curtiss JN4 was the most common.

The length of 8 feet is actually one of the numbers stamped. The 5'3" next to it is the pitch. And "SC" is a Signal Corps number. Since it's in the 40,000 range, I'm guessing that it's probably from the twenties, as opposed to the teens.

[gmkmd]

Thanks for the info. When you say that "S.C." stands for Signal Corps, does this indicate that it was on a military airplane (as opposed to a civilian one)?

[Dave]

Thanks for the info. When you say that "S.C." stands for Signal Corps, does this indicate that it was on a military airplane (as opposed to a civilian one)?

Yes, it was made under contract for the military airplane, but those are the planes that ended up being sold as surplus and used by the barnstormers and others, so in all likelihood it saw usage as both.