160 Beardmore propellers

[Bob Gardner]

Bretta,

If your prop blades have been in the family for over a quarter of a century it is very right and proper that they remain there. In addition, the value will rise in the next five years or so as the centenary of WW1 passes through 2014 to 2019.

Your blades are valuable in the sense that they will soon be a hundred years old and come from close to the dawn of aviation. Their present sawn condition is perfectly valid and not to be regretted. It shows how they were disposed of at squadron level and how someone struggled home with them. It is always possible that it might have been the pilot, whose landing accident wrote off the other two blades, or his mechanic.

You might consider typing out what you have discovered from us about the blades and from Google about the FE2B and attaching the note to the prop or framing it and keeping it with the prop for future reference in fifty or a hundred years time.

If you clean the blades by wiping them with warm soapy water, then let them dry, then repeat the process carefully until no more dirt comes off, then let them dry for several days and finally polish them with pure beeswax out of a tin, you may well see a considerable improvement. (beeswax out of a Sainsbury's aerosol will contain modern silicone polishes which are too powerful for 100 year old lacquer.) Don't polish the brass.

With kind regards,

Bob

[Bretta]

Thanks Dennis

[D.Hicklin]

Thanks.

Thanks for the response, and if perchance in the future should you reconsider, then by all means get back to me.

Be well, and enjoy the forum.

Sincerely,
Dennis Hicklin
Seattle Washington

[Bretta]

Hi Dennis,

As they are not worth too much I think I will keep hold of them with a view to mounting them on my wall at some point.

kind regards
Bretta

[Bretta]

I see, I was wondering what the difference between RAF and RAE was.

I thought they'd be worth a little more but no surprises considering they've been chopped up.

kind regards
Bretta

[D.Hicklin]

positive responce

Hello Bretta, welcome to the forum and thanks for getting back to me.

Ok here is where we stand at this point. First of all, bummer about you being across the pond, but cant help that, it is what it is. To me I have a soft spot for damaged props, I see them as pieces that wish to be in movement again but cant. So when I can obtain them, I use them as pieces in kinetic sculpture that allows them to move again, and I just keep them here in my studio, I dont resell them.

But lately it seems that some half props regardless of common sense, the owners see them as high dollar pieces, and they sit around and dont get sold and languish. I have the patience of a lump of granite, so in time I win.

As to your set of blades and dont take this as a snub, dave is correct, as cool as they are, they are not worth very much. So here is the reality from me. If I were to buy them from you, the offer is $100.00 per blade ($200.00 total ) as I prefer them as a set.

Since they are not in the form of a true cross they way they were when it was original, they dont need a special box or crate to ship them. Its simple, they just need to be double wrapped in bubble wrap nested to each other, then sheathed in cardboard that is form fitted with agressive bending to fit the shape, then duct taped and its done, and its done cheaply.

If you have time, see what the weight of them are together, and see what the postage is from your area to seattle washington, that way we have a number to go by as far as to what it will cost me for the shipping, should this advance further to a sale of your blades to me.
Thats about it, now the online debate can start as I am sure there will be others that will chime in about your blades.

As far as being a sponsor, more communication will have to ensue as time goes by...............cheshire grin.

Get back to me and lets see how how this pans out.

Sincerely,
Dennis Hicklin
Seattle Washington.

[Bob Gardner]

Bretta,

Dave is correct about the price. A blade and part hub might sell at auction for £150.00 GBP, about $250 USD. The blade with the data stamped on it is likely to raise the value to around £200 GBP, $320 USD.

The angular shape of the blades is typical of the designs made by Dashwood Lang of the Lang Propeller company. You'll recall that the drawing number begins with LP for this company.

The brass sheathing at the tips identifies the prop as from a pusher aircraft, which the FE2B was. It was there to prevent erosion caused by sand or dust blasting, thrown up by the wheels ahead of the prop and drawn into the rotating disc of the prop with grass, twigs and small stones. And when in action spent cartridges, maps, pencils and the odd glove might well have followed.

The sheathing is typically British. The screw holes were countersunk and when the screws had been fitted a touch of solder was added and smoothed flat so not to impede the airflow.

Your blades date from the latter half of 1918 because of the letters RAE for the Royal Aircraft Establishment which hitherto was known as the RAF for the Royal Aircraft Factory.

The blade is likely to have come direct from a squadron and was divided into four for ease of carriage home.

With kind regards,

Bob

[Bretta]

Hi Dave,

Yes, the method of cutting is very strange indeed, I have no idea why they were cut that way either.

I'm afraid there's no documented history with these other than they were found in a barn and have been in my family for at least 35 years.

As for value, I would like to know but thought it a bit rude to ask as a newbie poster, but am more than happy for you guys to give me your opinions if you wish.

kind regards
Bretta

[Dave]

Bretta, I think you'll find that pieces of propellers (unless they have some documentable clearly historic basis, which is rare) aren't worth very much, especially without decals on them.

I noticed that the method of cutting the hub seems very strange and unsymmetrical, but have no idea why.

[Bretta]

Hi Dennis

Hi Dennis,

Yes, I'm in the market to sell them, but at this stage I have no idea what their value is... there seems to be little information about them on the net. I'd be happy to let them go as a pair.

Thanks to Bob's excellent information I have enjoyed reading up on the FE2B and it's been nice to finally match a picture of the plane to the props... it's solved a 35 year mystery for me.

I'm based in the south-east of England, so couriering to the US might be an expensive problem.

I, too, am involved in the graphics/print industry - specialising in magazines. Maybe if you sponsored me to work in the US I would bring them along with me... ha, ha

kindest regards
Bretta

[D.Hicklin]

Greetings from Seattle Wa.

Thank you so much for posting these great shots of what is left over of the 4 bladed prop you have.

May I inquire as to what part of the world you live in, and if indeed you are considering selling these blades, are you going to sell them as a pair or as singles?

Also, are you going to list them on E bay or do some more research as to what the percieved value of them are as singles or as a pair?

Please feel free to get back to me when you have time, I would be interested in buying them as a pair or possibly only one of them, but as a pair is more desirable.

Enclosed is my information on my business card.

Sincerely,
Dennis Hicklin
Seattle Washington

[Bretta]

More photos

Here's some pics that I took tonight.

[Bob Gardner]

We look forward to the photos!

Bob

[Bretta]

Hi there Bob,

Thank you so much for the info, I knew what the Diameter and Pitch was thanks to digging around on this forum but had no idea what the rest of it meant... very interesting indeed and thanks again.

I will take some photos of the props in full during the week and post them here.

I think I probably will sell them in the end but they do hold some sentimental value as I remember them on the wall when I was a kid.

My father used to be involved in digging up WWII aircraft in the 70s and was also interested in anything related to planes.

kind regards
Bretta

[Bob Gardner]

Hi Bretta,

The hub in your photograph is for an FE2B.

The data translates as;

LP982A The drawing number for a four bladed prop designed by the Lang Propeller Company for the FE2B. This was one of a few props listed as standard props for that aircraft from July 1918 onwards.
LH Rotation of the prop.
RAE The aircraft was designed by the Royal Aircraft Establishment.
160 Beardmore The engine, a 160hp Beardmore.
D2740 Diameter of the prop, 2740mm
P1260 Pitch of the prop, 1260mm
PROP 27480Serial number of the maker, possibly Boulton & Paul.

If you intend to sell your two blades, leave them as they are.

With kind regards,

Bob