Hispano-Suiza identification help

[Popbang14!]

Hi, first post and looking for an identification on an old prop please.
I'm assuming this would be an older prop. It's 8 holes in the hub, but it's not very heavy. I'd estimate a length not les than 6ft. Two blades.
G. 486 N 35
BE12
200. HP H. SUIZA 4/3
AB 7402L L
Looking forward to hearing any advice. Apologies if it's actually a modern propeller.

[Dbahnson]

It's WW1 era and was made for use on the BE12 or a Beardmore WBIV using the 200 HP geared Hisso engine, which is why it's a left hand thread rather than the more typical right hand thread. Its listed diameter, however, is 2.75 meters, or roughly 9 feet, so it has been cut shorter at some point.

Maybe post a photo of the entire prop?

[Popbang14!]

Oh that is absolutely amazing! I guess you got all that info from the stamps on the hub? I've known this prop for nearly 50 years and always wondered. I'll get a measurement of the length in a few days. The ends aren't 'squared off' type of cut, but 2.75m seems longer. Thanks for the info. I'll report back with it's length and I'll enjoy checking your forum.

[Dbahnson]

Yes, the "AB 7402" is the drawing number created by the "Admiralty Board" and actually refers to a blueprint. Often these props were damaged at the tips and people who kept them as souvenirs would round of the edges symmetrically for display purposes. A photo shot from the side showing the configuration of the tip would help us with that.

[Popbang14!]

Understood. Thank you.

[Popbang14!]

[Popbang14!]

Total length is about 100 inches with one blade slightly shorter than the other. It's taken some damage at some time during it's history.

[Dbahnson]

It should measure 120" from tip to tip, so some of it is missing.

[Popbang14!]

Thanks. I'd like to sympathetically preserve what's left and I've read the posts on not restoring such a historic item. Any advice on how best to go forward would be appreciated.

[Dbahnson]

I would simply leave it as it is. Even when a coat of shellac would make it stand out better, it's still got all of its history intact, including all of its dormancy since damaged. It's a relic of one of many, many, accidents that occurred with aircraft of that era.

A good friend of mine (Billy Pearson) was an astute collector of WW1 militaria and always sought the rusted and deteriorated machine guns recovered from the battlefields in Europe. He had a clear eye for value and particularly the value of natural preservation vs. enhanced appearance.

[Popbang14!]

Oh boy, the only place I could keep this is my home. It'll be hard convincing my wife to have this hanging on the living room wall. It's been in a barn the last 40-odd years and looks like it's been in a muddy field in Belgium for 60 years prior to the barn! It's very rough.
I'd considered a wax, which I've used before, neutral and uncoloured. Specifically, clear Briwax.
There's some delamination too, with a lot of loose dirt caught between laminates. I've thought about using air to blow that out. I honestly can't leave it as is, if it's to come into my home.

[Dbahnson]

Dusting off dirt and even applying a high quality wax are OK, but when you start to re-glue laminations or remove damaged material to make it look better you are just throwing away value should you or your heirs ever decide to sell it. One thing that makes these older props as valuable as they are is that so many of them have been "restored" in some fashion.

[Popbang14!]

Dusting off dirt and even applying a high quality wax are OK

Thank you for all your sound advice. I appreciate it very much. We look forward to providing a welcoming home for such a historical propeller.

[Popbang14!]

Out of interest, what value would this propeller be. It's delaminating (a lot) from the tips inwards, and the top laminate at the hub has separated completely. It's short on one plade by maybe 6". It's very rough, but, I know it has history.

[Dbahnson]

Out of interest, what value would this propeller be. It's delaminating (a lot) from the tips inwards, and the top laminate at the hub has separated completely. It's short on one plade by maybe 6". It's very rough, but, I know it has history.

My best estimate is "not much", but that's only compared to one that's intact and original. Unfortunately, part of its "history" is an attempt to make it look better, but that actiion causes its value to drop considerably.