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  • Help Identifying Propeller

    This propeller came from Sir Charles Kingsford Smiths mothers house. I guess he brought it back from somewhere as souvenier
    (amazing but it checks out)


    It is marked

    130 H.P Clerget
    110 H.P Lerhone
    DRG Y 503
    690
    87
    R.H


    G. 1503
    N. 84.
    R.H.

    (front)

    ALD
    652 ( 4 times - each surrounded by a box )

    ( inside front )

    G1503
    N84

    Does anyone know what this prop is off?

    There is also a flying hat and documentation with this prop.

    The hat is marked 124 Great Portland Street Oxford Street West
    Motor and Avaition equipment.
    Does anyone know of this firm/company?


    Regards Oinkitthttp://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...opeller001.jpg

  • #2
    Hi,

    It's from an Avro 504, probably from the early 1920's. The AID letters are airworthiness stamps added during manufacture.

    I can't help with the hat.

    With regards,

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

    Comment


    • #3
      Propeller ID

      Hi,

      Thanks for the infomation, I have tracked down the previous owner and he confirmed your post. Aparently he offered to sell it to a couple of instutions. One disputed the plane it was off. The other one said they wanted it but couldnt pay for it as they were spending all their funds on building a dedicated display for this national hero. Sydney airport is named after kingsford smith, he is on our $20 note, and he also has a suburb named in his honour. These instutions need to realise there is little use in building a display if you have nothing to put in it.
      In the end the vender needing funds put the prop in a small city auction who failed to advertise what they had - I only found out the history after I had purchased the item. If this item was sold at a major international auction house I doubt weather I would have had the funds to secure it.
      I went to the house that kingsford smith bought for his mother, the owner advised me he gets 1 or 2 visitors a week to the house. I find this amazing given this man died over 70 years ago, and lets face it any visitors know hes not going to be there
      Lucky for me there is a repiclia of a Avro 540 at Sydney airport (15min from my home).They allowed me to measure the hub assembly so I can reproduce it. It is my intention to make a wall bracket which allows the prop to spin around. When I have completed this task I will post the results.


      Regards oinkitt

      Comment


      • #4
        Good for you. It's your lucky day, and better to see it go into the hands of someone who appreciates it.
        Dave

        Comment


        • #5
          Canvas ? covering

          Hi All,

          Is the covering on the propeller blades canvas? - if not what is it? - any ideas on how it was adheared? (animal glue?) - what finish is on the top of the material?
          I notice that allot of posts re linseed oil - all the original early propellers ive seen appear to have a shelac based finish. Do propellers generally have an oil finish in the US?

          Regards Adrian

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Canvas ? covering

            Originally posted by oinkitt
            Hi All,

            Is the covering on the propeller blades canvas? - if not what is it? - any ideas on how it was adheared? (animal glue?) - what finish is on the top of the material?
            I notice that allot of posts re linseed oil - all the original early propellers ive seen appear to have a shelac based finish. Do propellers generally have an oil finish in the US?

            Regards Adrian
            Usually canvas was used for covering the tips, although occasionally it was animal hide or pigskin. I'm not sure about the glue, but hide glue is a good bet. Most props I've seen were originally varnished. The linseed oil is just used to help preserve that varnish, and is what many antique restoration experts recommend for furniture. I don't think it was used as an original finish.
            Dave

            Comment


            • #7
              Hi Adrian,

              Many congratulations on your research and on finding this prop. Props like this are much better left in the hands of enthusiasts who care, like you, than museums who would leave it on a shelf in a store to gather dust.

              The tips of your prop will be covered in Irish linen of the same type as used to cover the flying surfaces of the aircraft. It was glued on with the same animal glue as used for glueing the laminations together.

              The blades were finished in waterproof varnish, not shellac as sometimes stated, which was not waterproof. I suspect that the term 'shellac' was widely used in WW1 in a generic sense, to describe all types of finish, much as we use the term 'varnish' today to describe all clear finishes applied to wood.

              With regards,

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

              Comment

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