Airscrew company Weybridge

[schitzkid]

Hi Guys,
I am looking for help in identifying a prop that I inherited from my grandfather. It was manufactured by the Airscrew company of Weybridge, Surrey. I had found a site on the internet years ago which, using the drawing number, identified it as being from a SARO Cutty Sark amphibious plane.
I am now not too sure about this as I have seen a propeller from a Cutty Sark at Ronaldsway airport on the Isle of Man which is slightly different.
The details of my prop are as follows:-
DRG No Z300/3
7 CYL GENET MAJOR
D2060
1180
AC 29679
MAY /33

Really hope you can help me out with this guys,
Best Regards
Schitzkid

[Dbahnson]

Yes, that's a correct drawing number. See the bottom of this page. It's not a bit unusual for aircraft to have several different propellers that are certified for that make and model. Some are just different diameter and pitch, but some are completely different shapes as well.

[schitzkid]

That’s great Dave, thank you very much. The main difference I could see from the picture of the Ronaldsway prop to mine, was that the Ronaldsway one has the same diameter at both front and aft faces of the hub. Whereas mine is larger diameter at the aft face.
Do you think that AC 29679 could be the aircraft serial number the blade was fitted to?

[Dbahnson]

I doubt that the AC number has anything to do with a specific aircraft. It's possible, but highly unlikely in my opinion. The only time I've EVER seen a prop associated with a specific aircraft was on a German prop for a Fokker DVII, and that number was painted on rather than stamped on the prop.

[Mtskull]

The differences between your propeller and the one on display at Ronaldsway can be explained by the fact that your propeller was applicable to the Armstrong Siddeley Genet radial engine, whereas the Ronaldsway example is from Saro Cutty Sark G-ABBC, which had inline engines (most sources state these to be DH Gipsy, although the Ronaldsway propeller has a right hand thread, so the Cirrus Hermes is a more likely candidate).

There are many images of Saro Cutty Sarks on the internet and this article is especially helpful: https://www.key.aero/article/service-6

As regards the individual aircraft to which your propeller was fitted, this can be narrowed down to four: as far as I can discover, only four of the twelve Cutty Sarks built were ever fitted with Genet engines.
These were:
G-ACDP, G-AETI and G-ACDR, all of which were operated by Air Service Training Ltd. at Hamble, DP and TI later serving with No. 3 Elementary Flying School, also at Hamble.
DR was reportedly dismantled for spares in 1938, so it is conceivable that its propellers may have subsequently been fitted to either of the other two.
The fourth example, G-ADAF, was exported to Santo Domingo and reportedly written off in 1942.

Knowing when and where your grandfather acquired the propeller might further narrow down the possibilities….

I hope this helps

Andy