de Havilland variable-pitch propeller

I had a look at the spider this morning. Sadly, the face is too badly corroded and no numbers remain. I don’t think it would be relevant anyway as it fits the type 5 shaft, but it would be nice to have anumber just to confirm this. Unfortunately, it’s not to be, sorry.

Thanks – look forward to the results.Having said that I’ve had another look at the cylinder and it LOOKS like it’s a left hand rotation – and the one I really would like to see would be a right-hand 4330. However, I guess these are rarer than hen’s teeth (the many radials using 4330’s being LH rotation, only the RR Peregrine, as far as i know, requiring a RH 4330).

I got carried away as I made out ‘4330-4’ on the stamp, which suggested it was they type used on the Whirlwind. However, the full number seems to be 4330-4A and now I suspect that the A is significant and this is just another LH rotation 4330 sub-type. Does anyone know definitively what the 4A was used on, and can anyone get their head round the orientation of the cylinder in terms of what its shape says about direcion of rotation? I make it left-hand, but..

I’ll have a look at the spider next week and let you know, although I think I’ve so far failed to find any numbers on it. It does seem to precisely fit the No. 5 prop shaft but, as you say, with the mix of components we have I can’t guarantee anything is what I think it is. However, the corrosion on the spider seems consistent with the prop shaft and other parts, but not the cylinder. Nontheless, I’m happy to check and get back to you.

RadarArchive, are there any numbers on the spider?

Can you guess why I am asking (Cylinder P4330 a clue)?

If you have a hotch-potch it may be that the spider belongs to the cylinder and/or barrel, and is type 4 as well. Does everything fit together?

What does the 67mm measurement you made relate to? It would be nice if that’s a spider ‘leg’ diameter..

Without mentioning the ‘W’ word, we might need to talk….;)

Dairwin, thanks very much for this. It does make sense and we wondered if the cylinder was from a different prop to the blade as it seemed to be in much better condition. Most of the parts seem to have come from a wreck recovery, judging by the levels of corrosion, but the cylinder has no corrosion at all.

You seem to have a hotch potch of different parts; the blade we have identified as from several P5 bracket LH rotation propellers, but the cylinder in the photo above is from a P4 bracket propeller (pn P4330).

Thanks for all the responses, ladies and gentlemen. I’ve had another look at the blade and it is indeed a P55262. I think the stamped number actually reads DP55262-3 and is also numbered blade No. 3 elsewhere.

I’ve also measured the external diameter of the propeller shaft and it is indeed 96mm. Thanks MerlinPete. There are indeed some unrelated Griffon parts (mostly gears) which I think may be what has caused the confusion. Clearly, these parts are not linked to the propeller.

So, what we have here is a de Havilland bracket propeller type P55262 as fitted to an SBAC No. 5 shaft. Am I correct in thinking this? If so, presumably there is no way of tying it to a particular aircraft type and it could be from any of those on Anneorac’s list and more? Sorry for summarising the previous posts, but I am no propeller expert and want to make sure I’ve understood everyone correctly.

I’ve added a few photos of some of the parts we have which probably tells us nothing new, but I post them here just in case they are useful.

P55262/3 Blade used on a number of props, engines and aircraft including

5/9 Pegasus XVIII Hampden I
5/10 Perseus XII Roc
5/15 Dagger VIII Hereford I
5/19 Taurus III Beaufort I
5/26 Taurus II Albacore

All of which are left handers.

Anne

Ian.

Ignore my last post, I have just read your earlier one about the shaft being between the two on the Griffon 58, so it is a SBAC No5 shaft, as you say, the same as a Merlin. Your dimension confused me because the splines are 96mm OD. The fact that is carries a GN part number will be beacuse it is from a single shaft Griffon such as fitted to Fireflies and Spitfires. Not many engines used that size. Some others are early non-tapered shaft Bristol Hercules, Bristol Pegasus and Perseus. I don`t know if any versions of the Mercury had that shaft.
If it is a LH blade as dairwin suggests, then Bristol Pegasus is by far the most likely, fitted to a whole load of types, but most numerous Wellington, Sunderland, Swordfish. If it`s RH, then it is Merlin, so you are looking at early types such as Battle, Defiant and Spitfire.
Single shaft Griffons are LH rotation, but this propeller wasn`t used on a production Griffon installation.
Can you tell us what hand it is please? I can`t tell from the photo.

Pete

I read the blade ring as P55262. This in listed in my DeHav manual as a bracket blade used on several bracket No5 shaft props.

If it is 55262, then it is a left hand blade.

The number is similar to the HamStan parts listing for 55200 series blades.

Ian.
Sorry, I missed your penultimate reply. You have a rusty looking engine propeller shaft shown fitted into the hub. it is the outside diameter of that prop shaft spline I was asking for. It should be more like 80 to 100mm depending on the SBAC size, also, does this splined shaft actually fit the propeller, (or does it look as though it would?) Can you please post a clear photo of the shaft and the bore of the hub when separated please.

Cheers

Pete

I’m still trying to identify this de Havilland braket propeller. Can anyone tell me what information I would need to extract from it in order to identify the propeller type and hence what it might have been fitted to? I am assuming that the numbers given in previous posts are not sufficient or I’m sure someone would have come forward to say exactly what type number this prop is.

If anyone can tell me what they need to know to identify it, I’ll do my best to provide the information and, hopefully, we can get this propeller pinned down.

Ian.
I’m not convinced all those parts match. It appears to be a Griffon prop shaft, which is unlikely to have been fitted to a bracket prop. What is the outside diameter of the splines?

Pete

The external diameter of the splines is 67mm. Does this help with identification?

You might be right Pete. Not included in the photo are some reduction gears that I’m pretty sure are Griffon. The prop shaft, however, I’m sure is Merlin. It is the exact dimensions of the shaft fitted to our Merlin engine and is between the diameters of the two Griffon prop shafts on our Shackleton engine.

Ian.
I’m not convinced all those parts match. It appears to be a Griffon prop shaft, which is unlikely to have been fitted to a bracket prop. What is the outside diameter of the splines?

Pete

I’m pretty sure it is a de Havilland propeller, if only because it is covered with de Havilland Broughton inspection stamps (thanks Bruce!). There are a few other numbers: the propeller blade has the number on the root mentioned in my previous posts which I now think appears to be DP5526353. The casing round the hub is numbered DH514714 and the propeller reduction gear drive coupling has a number GN19940.

The de Havilland Broughton inspection stamps are numbered DHB 4, DHB 14, DHB 82, DHB 108 and DHB 147.

It is a bracket propeller, although I suspect it is a Hamilton Standard 3E50.

In your last photo, the hub/prop is upside down; the round centre of the hub goes against the engine.

I have manuals for it, and will look up the number.

DAI

In the hope that it might help, here is a general view of this propeller. I think it is a de Havilland bracket type constant speed, but I have no idea about the actual de Havilland type number.

I am very keen to try and identify the type of propeller this is and, if possible, the aircraft type it would have been fitted to.

Does anyone have any ideas about this propeller? I thought the numbers might identify it, but is it possible there are other numbers I’ve missed which would provide that crucial piece of evidence? I can’t believe with the knowledge on this forum that no-one is able to say what this prop is off.