Pre-WWI (?) Packard Piano Co, Ft. Wayne IN prop

[SethHeine]

I am researching a prop that belonged to my grandfather Raymond David Heine, one of the first Air Mail pilots in the US. it has 8 bolts, measured 5.25" in width, with a center hole of 2'. Though very hard to read, it seems to have the following "serial" numbers etched into the wood around the metal mounts at the center: SC 50059 PART 970___8FT4__OX5

Family lore has it that my grandfather loved to fly his C-3 JN, I have pictures of him standing on a ladder working on the engine. As the vast majority of his air mail colleagues died in near constant crashes, Grandmother told him it was her, or the plane. He struck a compromise by keeping the "B" prop (never mounted it seems), and his wife, which worked out well for me

I can find no references to the Packard Piano Company making props, but my guess is that they were commissioned to do so because there were very few prop makers in WWI?

[Dave]

There were actually hundreds of propeller manufacturers during WW1, many of them furniture companies or piano builders like yours. They already had the resources to quickly turn out propellers in fairly large volumes, some promising productions of 250 propellers PER DAY if needed.

The "SC" number is a Signal Corps number as is quite high, at least suggesting that it was manufactured after WW1, although a narrow time frame can't be identified.

[Bob Gardner]

This forum is a wonderful place for researchers gathering data. I hope some one is collecting all the new American data, such as WW1 makers, with a view to writing a book for future reference. I meant to but I'm tied up for the next few years writing my books on British and German WW1 props and their makers.

With kind regards,

Bob

[Dave]

This forum is a wonderful place for researchers gathering data. I hope some one is collecting all the new American data, such as WW1 makers, with a view to writing a book for future reference. I meant to but I'm tied up for the next few years writing my books on British and German WW1 props and their makers.

With kind regards,

Bob

I admire your efforts in your books, Bob. As you may know, several years ago I started to research the U.S. propeller industry with a particular attempt to gather drawing numbers correlating to aircraft usage of the early propellers. With the assistance of a U.S. Senator at the Library of Congress and a curator at the National Air and Space Museum I spent quite a lot of time trying to find the records that would produce that information. It was very discouraging. Even the American Propeller Company, which produced over 25,000 wooden "Paragon" propellers by the end of WW1, seems to have left no useful records behind.

Ironically, even some U.S. sources seem to have much better information about British and French propellers than about those that were manufactured here.

The effort continues however, and my hope is that eventually the information will turn up, perhaps a bit at a time, but turn up nonetheless.

[Bob Gardner]

Hi Dave,

You in America and Pierre-Michel in France have both gathered large amounts of material and I do hope you will produce books in time.

Your experience in the up-hill struggle of research is very like mine; not only up-hill but in loose sand as well. I suppose it does make finding the occasional trove of good information all the more exciting!

With kind regards,

Bob

[lineberry3]

Packard Piano Co

Packard manufactured propellers from 1917 - 1918. Packard supplied 1000 training propellers and 1000 combat propellers for the U.S. Army. Manufactured by the Packard Piano & Organ Co, Ft Wayne IN

[Dave]

Packard manufactured propellers from 1917 - 1918. Packard supplied 1000 training propellers and 1000 combat propellers for the U.S. Army. Manufactured by the Packard Piano & Organ Co, Ft Wayne IN

Interesting. I have seen at least one Packard Propeller before.

What is the source of the above information?

[lineberry3]

Source is the Allen County-Ft Wayne Historical Museum. They have a used one on display, however my VFW Post in New Haven IN has a NOS on display, it has never been mounted and is in pristine condition. Both props were made for the DeHaviland 4 with the Liberty 12 engine.