WWI Era Propellers

This 8foot, 4 inch diameter Sopwith Pup propeller demonstrates some common features of early wooden propellers. Notice the asymmetrical leading and trailing edges, the fabric covered tips, the dark mahogany wood, the 8 bolt hole pattern in the hub, and the offset of the blades, giving it a mild "scimitar" pattern. The variations on these characteristics are almost countless.

U.S..A. - Paragon (American Propeller Co.), Lang, Hartzell (Liberty), Curtiss, Buffalo Aero, Jacuzzi, Westmoore, Hardman and Peck, and many others, including a variety of furniture and piano manufacturers. Click here for a list of some other manufacturers.

If you need help identifying your prop, please do the following:
1. Find out what engine it was used on by checking the hub dimensions (see above).
2. Measure the length of the propeller.
3. Write down all of the numbers written on it.
4. Take a photo from directly in front of the propeller, perpendicular and centered to the blade (as if the camera is looking straight down the center bore).
5. Go to our Wooden Propeller Forum, register a username and post your questions, preferably with a picture or pictures of the propeller and as much of the written and measurement information as you can..

Many propellers will have the aircraft usage stamped on the hub, sometimes in abbreviated form. For example "Spa" may refer to SPAD, "Nie" to Nieuport, "DH" to deHavilland, etc. Engines may have similar abbreviations, such as "Mono" for monosoupape, "HS" for Hisso, "Gn" for Gnome, etc. British and French propellers will usually have a drawing number or "serie" number stamped on the hub. See "Abbreviations" for additional information.

Often the engine usage can be determined by the characteristics of the hub. Click on the diagram below for an explanation of how to take the measurements, then use this link to view the hub dimensions of some of the more commonly encountered engines.

Note espeically that the "bolt hole circle" is the diameter of the circle on which the centers of of the bolt holes rest. Click here or on the image to the left for explanation of measurements.

NEW (January, 2006) - WOODEN PROPELLER FORUM
This is the place to register and post your questions about your propeller or anything else that relates to wooden propellers.