A colleague of mine brought this propeller to work today.
He got it from his old ant that found it in the attic…
It is obvious from some kind of wind driven generator, but for what aircraft.
We are certain that it’s orgin is an aircraft once operated by the Norwegian Air Force or (if it is WWII) possibly some German type.
It is produced by “Helice Levasseur” and measures 60 cm in diameter (tip to tip).
The blades are wooden and the hub has the following stamped into it:
“6309”
“MAP”
“C” (inside a ring)
“P4 PT” inside a hexagon
Both blades are individualy adjustable with a scale numbered from 0-33 on each blade root.
Both blades got a table that probably is a guide to adjusting the pitch for
best angle/flying speed) (see pictures)
So, over to the experts out there. 🙂
By: Creaking Door - 3rd November 2007 at 17:32
Don`t know the aircraft, but it is clearly calibrated to drive a 500 watt generator, the pitch setting corresponding to the airspeed you want it to be driven at.
I would tend to agree that it is for a wind-driven generator as 500 Watts is a fairly ‘sensible’ output for a generator of the 1920-1930 era.
And as you say the table seems to be advising the pitch setting to give 500 Watts for a given airspeed.
I doubt very much that with a 500 Watt motor this propeller could produce a wind speed of 324km/h (200mph) at a pitch of 38° (in a wind tunnel for example).
Could it be something to do with a wind tunnel by any chance? Perhaps the table referring to blade angle and scale speed?
Just re-read your comments about scale-speed. It’s possible but wouldn’t it be more useful to have the absolute-speed on the propeller and then work out the scale-speed from the scale of the model. Also the fact that it is only a 600mm propeller would tend to make the tunnel small so the absolute-speed would need to be very high to give a reasonable scale-speed.
It is a long time since I did anything with a wind tunnel so I could be very, very wrong though! 🙂
By: low'n'slow - 3rd November 2007 at 12:57
It’s calibrated up to 320 km/h. A bit too fast for a Bleriot or Shorthorn I suspect! 😀
My guess is a wind-driven generator from a 1920s/30s type. Not too sure what would be operating in Norway at about that time.
This type of thing would almost certainly have been “salvaged” from a locally operated aeroplane. Take a look at the back of most aircraft engineers’ workshops, even today, and they’re always full of items “put by”.
Just ask “The Blue Max” :diablo:
By: LimaNovember - 2nd November 2007 at 21:21
I found a picture of Tryggve Gran taken from Buc,France in 1914. On the left side of the engine cowling on his Bleriot there is a little wind driven propeller.It seems that his Bleriot named “Nordsjøen” had one during his flight from Cruden Bay to Norway 30th of july 1914
Or…..
A war trophy from the Germans??
Or…………
From a Maurice Farman Shorthorn ???
JJ
By: MerlinPete - 2nd November 2007 at 21:15
Don`t know the aircraft, but it is clearly calibrated to drive a 500 watt generator, the pitch setting corresponding to the airspeed you want it to be driven at.
Pete
By: Wingnut - 2nd November 2007 at 20:18
Hardly an expert in these matters but…
Any chance it could be a ground running prop for engine test?
I would not think so. It’s to small, only 60cm in diameter, with a limited amount of adjustment to the blade pitch angle.
It would quite simply not take up enough power..
By: J Boyle - 2nd November 2007 at 20:15
Hardly an expert in these matters but…
Any chance it could be a ground running prop for engine test?
By: Wingnut - 2nd November 2007 at 20:05
It is very small for an aircraft prop, but I agree, all the evidence does point that way. given the profile of the blades, and the rather pleasant patina – no later than 1920?
NB!
Not actually an aircraft propeller (as for propulsion of the aircraft).
I think it was used as a “propeller” attached to a wind driven generator, often attached to a wing strut, landing gear or simply attached to a dedicated pylon on the side of the fuselage. On small aircraft they are usally quite small, but the size of this indicates (to me) that this might have been attached to a larger aircraft in need of a heftier power supply.
–
Erik
By: Lindy's Lad - 2nd November 2007 at 19:57
It is very small for an aircraft prop, but I agree, all the evidence does point that way. given the profile of the blades, and the rather pleasant patina – no later than 1920?
Just a thought – could it not be from an air driven generator as fitted to many early aircraft?
By: Wingnut - 2nd November 2007 at 19:41
Naah, I dont’ belive you Morten..
1. Too well-made to be “just a cooling fan”
2. “Helice Levasseur” was an aircraft propeller manufacturer.
3. Why is the graduation on the propeller given in km/h.?
4. The propeller was owned by a man who worked as an aircraft mech. his entire life.
5. The labeling are placed on, and adjustment screws face towards the “backside” (flat) of the propeller blades. To me that indicates that the “backside” was facing forward, into the slipstream (if it is from a wind driven generator, as I want to belive…:rolleyes: )
Anyone got more ideas..?
–
Erik
By: cavok - 2nd November 2007 at 18:00
Sometimes the world is smaller than you’d think….!
If I’m not entirely wrong, I once had this one in my possesion and sold it off at a market, most probably the “Ekeberg-market”, held by the NVK (Norwegian Veteran Auto Association)!
I was also quite fascinated by this item, believing it was from some sort of plane. I was, however, at some stage informed that this was rather a cooling fan/propeller from some sort of industrial installation needing efficient air cooling. I cannot off hand recall for which type of equipment it was used.
So, there you are, my friend; not directly aviation aviated; but a nice little story, and nice it is!
Best regards
Morten M
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November 2, 2007 at 5:43 pm