Fantastic WW1 prop – can you help ID please…

A very small bit of jigsaw – the flag certainly looks like a ‘House Flag’ of Wm Beardmore and Co, so yes, it’s nautical. Doesn’t mean that the airscrew is though!

They also had contracts to build a number of aircraft including B.E.2c and D.H.9. The prop in question has a rather unusual feature for an airscrew of this period in that it quotes the diameter and pitch in feet and inches. First time I’ve seen that on a British prop of the 1914-18 period as they are usually given in millimeters.

Are there any other markings on the hub? What we really need is the drawing number which usually appears somewhere on the hub because without this we are left with what’s basically speculation.

Anne

Indeed they did James. They built more airships than any other company with the exception of Vickers.

I’ve no idea if this prop is involved, but didn’t Beardmore also make engines, and some of those powered dirigibles as well?

Skipper – just looking at the pic of the Nieuport 12, do you think this prop is too big???

Could be, Beardmore engines were fitted to FE2’s!

Skipper – just looking at the pic of the Nieuport 12, do you think this prop is too big???

Taifun, Melv gave u a better path to follow, u’ll surely do better by using the info on the hub 🙂

Cheers

Taifun,

Ray Rimmell published a book all about identifying WW1 propellors from the serial numbers on the hub. One of those numbers is the drawing number and the drawing wiul specify which types it was fitted to. The fact that Beardmore made Nieuport 12s does not prove it was from one of those. Beardmore also made other types!

Check out “Albatross Publications” or post the lettering from the hub to the forum in Aerodrome.com

Alex – any idea where I find such info???

u should dig thru planes exported to Argentina during the WW1 and successive years..

Alex

Italian Harvard – Well this is where the plot thickens. The prop was made in Scotland but found when clearing out a house just outside Buenos Aires, in Argentina. I have no details of how it got there. If only it could talk!

Skipper – Thank you – wear your boy Scout Detective badge with pride! The manufacturer is certainly the same. I found out a little more about them:-

“On the outbreak of war in 1914, Sir William Beardmore was immediately called on to supply guns, ships and aeroplanes in quantity. A great deal of money was invested in new buildings and plant to manufacture all this material, particularly at Dalmuir and at Mossend, where the works were completely reconstructed with help from the Ministry of Munitions.

After the end of the war, Sir William’s enthusiasm for expansion and development was unabated. He saw the future in terms of the manufacture of passenger aeroplanes, cars, railway engines and motor cycles and opened an experimental civil aviation department.”

I know sometimes we get off the topic here and the odd bicker can break out. Sometimes we just stare at fantastic pictures of great aircraft. However under it all runs a depth of knowledge that many posters here should be very proud of.

Thanks in advance for any further information that the forum might be able to offer..

Taifun

Taifun,

This link points towards it belonging to a Nieuport 12…

http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/nieuport.html

Regards

Skipper

whenever u get tired of it send me a PM and I’ll give u my shipping address 😀 😉
Where does it come from exactly? this might help too.. U have any clue of the wood type?

Alex

What a great find, and well saved!