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  • Identification help!

    Have a prop with the following info:

    GERMANIA PROPELLER
    N. 9999 (may be 9899)
    D315
    260PS

    Would be interested to know what type plane this is from.

    Thanks for any help!

  • #2
    Guten Tag Karen,

    Welcome to the forum.

    Your propeller is German and dates from 1918.

    It is seldom possible to attribute a German prop to a specific aircraft because engines and propellers were matched to classes of aircraft.

    Your data translate as;
    D315 the diameter of the prop in cm
    260ps 260 horsepower
    9999 or 9989 the serial number.

    The serial number is the highest that I have recorded for the maker Germania and suggests therefore that it was made in the latter half of 1918.

    The horsepower of 260 indicates the Mercedes or Maybach engine.

    These engines were used in three types of aircraft C, G and R where;
    C indicates a two seat unarmed biplane, typically a recce aircraft.
    G, an armed biplane bomber (Grossflugzeug - large aircraft) with two or three engines.
    R, an armed biplane bomber with four engines (Riesenflugzeug - Giant Aircraft)

    Within these classes the 260ps engine and a prop of around 315cm were used on;
    Rumpler C IV
    Albatros C X and C XII

    Gotha G III, Va and Vb
    Friedrichshafen G III

    Staaken R VI

    Data on these WW1 props can be difficult to read. Can you look on yours for anymore? Likely items are;
    ZUG or EDULZUG
    DRUCK, DRUK or EDULDRUCK
    ST or STEIGUNG

    And we would much like to see a photo of your prop, if possible, showing the entire prop and close ups of the Germania decal, if present, and of any data.

    Mit freundliche GrĂ¼ssen,

    Bob
    Last edited by Bob Gardner; 02-14-2015, 06:47 AM.
    Bob Gardner
    Author; WW1 British Propellers, WWI German Propellers
    http://www.aeroclocks.com

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    • #3
      Karen,

      An after-note; my description above relates to the German Airforce. The Imperial German Navy also used a 260ps engine in some of its aircraft but in comparatively small numbers, so statistically, it is most likely that your prop was not from a naval aircraft.

      And any other data you find might enable me to link it to a particular of aircraft.

      With kind regards,

      Bob
      Bob Gardner
      Author; WW1 British Propellers, WWI German Propellers
      http://www.aeroclocks.com

      Comment


      • #4
        Danke!

        I appreciate the information! I did not initially post any photos because this prop is, perhaps unfortunately, one that has been made into a clock. But it is a beautiful one! There is no desire to sell, only to discover their history - This one was purchased in Germany and brought to the states. The word Edulzug does appear on it, - no decals; but other letters are present and partially hidden - I have attached (AYBACH? Maybe?) Anymore information you can glean from the pictures would also be appreciated. Thank you so much!
        Attached Files

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        • #5
          Edulzug just refers to its use as a tractor (rather than pusher) configuration, and Maybach is the most likely engine.
          Dave

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          • #6
            Thanks! Much appreciated.

            Comment


            • #7
              Karen,

              Thank you for the photographs and data, which help a great deal.

              Many of the aircraft I listed were pushers (Druck) with the prop mounted at the back of the engine on each wing, so we can rule out many of the possibilities I first mentioned.

              The Maybach engine was mostly built in 240ps form, whereas yours was the 1918 260ps engine which further whittles down the list, leaving two:

              The Rumpler C7 with a Zug prop of 315cm diameter and a pitch of 188cm.
              The Staaken R VI with a Zug prop of 315cm diameter and pitch of 190cm.

              The pitch (Steigung, often shortened to St) of your prop is 200cm. There were often slight variations in the pitch of a prop, but never for the diameter.

              I conclude that your prop might be from a Staaken R VI, a bomber much used in 1918, often against England.

              At the end of WW1 in Britain and France, a cottage industry sprang up making artefacts out of surplus propellers, and more rarely in Germany. So yours is both elegant and rare.

              With kind regards,

              Bob
              Last edited by Bob Gardner; 02-24-2015, 06:09 AM.
              Bob Gardner
              Author; WW1 British Propellers, WWI German Propellers
              http://www.aeroclocks.com

              Comment


              • #8
                Thanks again!

                The information you provided was much appreciated! Interesting to know some of the prop history. This forum has been very helpful.

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