Can anyone throw any light on the type id of this prop blade please?
It is one of either two or three blades. The root, where severed, is not round but has a gentle aerofoil profile indicating no pitch change facility and probably made from a single aluminium billet. Possible Gladiator, Swordfish?
The aerofoil profile would suggest a left hand rotation (when looking forward).
Length (of part shown = 54″ (137cm)
Max chord width = 11″ (28cm)
Max chord thickness at severed end = 1 3/8″ (3.5cm)
No history to it except that it came from the sea somewhere in the north of the UK and the finder chopped the blades off and then tried to chop each blade into smaller pieces.
Not destined for ebay but to the Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]237982[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]237983[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]237984[/ATTACH]
By: Foray - 4th June 2015 at 11:19
Many thanks all. Swordfish looking promising. My only slight concern when comparing it with Swordfish photos is that the Swordfish blades look to be more bulbous towards the tip and more symmetrical in profile (leading edge/trailing edge). Might just be the viewing angle though. Below is a photo of the other blade after cleaning and the two halves welded together (not known if there was a third). Spot the join! The leading edge looks much straighter than the training edge and the taper to the tip is well defined.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]238008[/ATTACH]
By: Arabella-Cox - 3rd June 2015 at 19:34
Yep, my money’s on Swordfish. It’s a single-piece Fairey prop used on very few types. I think the Walrus/Shagbat used Fairey’s too on some occasions.
Anon.
By: Whitley_Project - 3rd June 2015 at 18:49
I think they are most likely Swordfish as you suggest
By: Trolly Aux - 3rd June 2015 at 17:56
Looks a little Mossie
Sign In
June 3, 2015 at 5:19 pm