Salvaged prop – ID please

Chaps, you are quite correct.

The missing cover and one barnacle incrusted feature led me to see something that isn’t actually there.

So as you were saying, most likely a DeHavilland Hydromatic prop attached to a Hercules reduction gear.

Slightly shame faced Anne.

100% British. Bristol engine & (DH?) Hydromatic propeller!

Yes, but not a Hydromatic prop.

Anon.

Ignore this post, I was talking c**p!

Anne

It appears to be a Bristol Engine reduction gear, and the LH rotation supports that, but the blades are similar to the pattern found on the B-17, B-24 and C-47.

With a prop that size it must be from a Hercules engine and that blade size/combination it could be Stirling or Halifax. Hercules Sunderlands and Beaufighters had much slender bladed (termed needle) props. Lanc II’s had the Rotol prop.

And, yes, the prop is a Hydromatic. There is no “bobweight” – the confusion, I think, coming from the projecting hub casing housing the joining bolt(s).

Anon.

I disagree…..not with that reduction gear!

Ignore this post, I was talking c**p!

Anne

I think you may be right. I hadn’t really looked at the hub itself; I’d just accepted that it had counterweights.

Looking at it again it definitely seems to have the Hamilton-Standard ‘Hydromatic’ type of pitch control.

Bristol Hercules (Halifax,Stirling or Beufighter).

Looks like a 0.5:1 reduction ratio (the two larger gears being the same size and having the same number of teeth).

Not that that narrows it down very much; for the Pegasus engine that ratio was used on Sunderland, Wellington and Hampden (and the Mercury engine uses a virtually identical reduction gear with the same reduction ratio).

Definitely Bristol (Farman) reduction gear.

Latest theory – Mk 1 Sunderland as fitted with Bristol Pegasus. The length of the prop boss plus what I think looks like a bob weight lead me in that direction. Any takers?

CeBro the B17 and B25 reduction gear are different just reminded me more of a 24 than a 17 prop reduction gear

t

Looks like the dome has corroded away. Trolly Aux, doesn’t the P&W R-1830 have a different reduction gearing?

Possibly a B24 prop

Having looked at pictures of Wright Cyclones I’m also now thinking B17 but the prop boss seems a little too short on the salvaged example. An early model perhaps?

This came ashore a week or so back at Camber jetty and from the picture I was sent I thought B17

My guess is B-17. My knowledge of P&W or Wright reduction gearing is a bit rusty.