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Post by rone on Apr 17, 2015 19:51:07 GMT 12
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Post by FlyingKiwi on Apr 18, 2015 17:37:48 GMT 12
I had a better look at the one in the aero club today and I don't think it is quite the same - the tips have a broader chord and are more rounded in the one we have.
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Post by rone on Apr 18, 2015 20:40:55 GMT 12
Seems to have run out of clues, I spent quite some time on Google researching propellers and never found any the same. It can't be that rare surely.
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Post by delticman on Apr 18, 2015 20:55:45 GMT 12
Can you identify the wood it's made of?
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Post by rone on Apr 19, 2015 11:14:51 GMT 12
No not really, it is reasonably heavy though. Research shows props were made of many different woods and not being a wood person I just don't know. I have a Oxford prop which although a bit smaller all round in considerably lighter. It may be rose wood or ash , I just don't know
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Post by davidd on Apr 19, 2015 12:15:15 GMT 12
In my opinion, the style of this prop is more typical of the late 1920s and 1930s, and definitely not WW1 type - the hub area is quite heavy (read robust, due to greater powers and higher RPM) and the blade shape is more of the style fitted to Cheetahs, Kestrels, etc. Also WW1 props frquently had much more extensive brass covering of leading edges (sometimes encasing the entire tip!) than is apparent here. Later props tended to have fairly sparse brass wrapped around leading edge, and hardly ever over complete tip. However lack of any fore and aft taper of the hub is notable, although this would tend to indicate a slower type aircraft (such as Oxford) - designers seemd to like a tapered hub for the faster types, often by building up the hub to a larger rear diameter by use of cunning light-weight construction rather than bulking up with solid wood of the main laminations. Dave D
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Post by rone on Apr 20, 2015 19:35:29 GMT 12
Oh well!, seems as though a blank has been drawn. The blade shape is nothing like a Cheetah prop, and the leading edge protector isate doubtful if it is brass. It is not brass coloured and unless Chrome plating was employed all I can say the plot thickens. I will check the material with my eagle eye. And even if 20's> 30's it is still old.
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Post by pioneer on Apr 23, 2015 14:36:02 GMT 12
No help at all I'm sure, but it is definitly not a Walrus prop they were "paired" to give you 4 blades and for that reason the thickness at the boss was much thinner, just on 5". I have the remains of one sitting on my desk as I write this.
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Post by harrysone on Apr 23, 2015 20:22:17 GMT 12
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Post by harrysone on Apr 23, 2015 20:49:03 GMT 12
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Post by rone on Apr 26, 2015 19:42:51 GMT 12
Looks as though you are getting close. I have researched both Bristol and Armstrong-Siddeley engines, they both used 9'6" props, only from all the pictures seen so far the protector strip went right down the leading edge. The prop I have only covers part of the leading edge as can be see in photos.It is fairly clear it was made between 1920 to 1930. Keep looking folks.
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Post by rone on Apr 26, 2015 19:49:45 GMT 12
I did find that the British Government gave 3 Gloster Grebe A/C to New Zealand, date not supplied, NZ501,NZ502,NZ503; all fitted with Bristol Jupiter VII engines, which in turn had 9'6" props, but with full length protector strips. Also none seen so far appear to be as wide across the blade.
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Post by Bruce on Apr 26, 2015 20:08:57 GMT 12
Definitely not Grebe - I've seen one of those props and they have a sharply tapered hub for the prop spinner.
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Post by davidd on Apr 28, 2015 14:35:37 GMT 12
Standard power plant for all Grebes (including the three which came to NZ) was NOT the Bristol Jupiter (single row, 9-cylinder), it was the two row, 14-cylinder Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar (Mk. IV and other variants). David D
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Post by nuuumannn on Apr 29, 2015 12:59:26 GMT 12
Without the data on the hub, there is another way to find out which engine the prop was fitted to, that's by measuring the inside diameter of the centre hole and the circumference of the centre of the eight bolt holes. These measurements are recorded for each engine type, but the catch is, you need a copy of the list of engine types and their measurements! If you are really keen, you could try writing to an aviation museum; the RAF Museum or such like. Or try Simon Moody at the Air Force Museum - he's ex-RAF Museum at any rate.
Off the top of my head, I do think we are looking further afield than an aircraft used in New Zealand. It is unusual that the data has been removed from the hub, though.
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Post by harrysone on Apr 29, 2015 16:45:10 GMT 12
...err yes, didn't it come from Australia?
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Post by nuuumannn on Apr 29, 2015 18:11:27 GMT 12
if you want to nit pick Harry... yeah, you got me...
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Post by rone on Apr 30, 2015 11:09:09 GMT 12
yes, I did say it was believed to have originated in Australia, and in reply to Davidd I only reported what I read, I know full well Grebe had the 14cylinder A/S Jaguar. The numbers and other identifying marks have removed by the person unknown, who used a disc sander to 'clean up' the propeller. it is not beyond proper restoration, I just hoped maybe it could be identified. Can always be used for firewood I guess.
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Post by nuuumannn on Apr 30, 2015 14:57:51 GMT 12
I have to admit I missed the Aussie bit first time round, or something - although that was obvious. I have been looking along similar lines to Harry; it does look like AS or Bristol engines; I thought perhaps Westland Wapiti as the RAAF operated those, but your prop's too small; they had an 11 foot prop. I found a pic of a Hart with a Pegasus engine in a book I have and the prop certainly looked the part, although there was no measurement specified in the book. The D.H.50 has the right provenance as the Australians had a few of them over there, Quantas at Longreach building seven of them and West Australian Airways in Perth building three and another being built by Larkin Aircraft Supply in Melbourne. A few of the Stag Lane built examples arrived in Australia, too. There was also a Giant Moth here in New Zealand with the NZPAF.
Without any markings or not knowing the engine type for certain though, we are stabbing in the dark, although I feel we are on the right track with AS or Bristol engines. I think the Grebe is a red herring; the prop hub is the wrong shape.
Firewood?? You jest, Rone!
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Post by errolmartyn on Apr 30, 2015 16:48:15 GMT 12
. . . Quantas at Longreach . . . Grant, take 100 lines - "I shall not spell Qantas with a u"! Errol
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