Questions on Spitfire Propellers (merged)

I know this is an old thread. But would anyone have a decent drawing of this Rotol blade (as discussed at the start of this topic?) As I am needing to make an accurate one in 1/32nd scale for a model. Any help would be hugely appreciated

Kind regards
Anthony

I wasn’t suspecting chipboard. 🙂

I just had a vague memory of hearing the name Airscrew-Weyroc and put 2 and 2 together to come up with a potential 4…

Oops…forgot.

Here is an advert from the 1950s.

http://www.flightglobal.com/PDFArchive/View/1950/1950%20-%201226.html?search=weyroc

Anne

Thanks for looking.

Weyroc…well yes and no.

The Airscrew Company Ltd. of Weybridge produced blades made of compressed Spruce or Douglas Fur spliced into birch laminations at the root end (Jicwood). This company also produced a chipboard called Weyroc. In 1962 the company changed their name to Airscrew-Weyroc Ltd. and are still around today as Weyroc Ltd. supplying all your chipboard needs.

So the company did make the blades but not out of chipboard.

Anne.

I’ve see a number of any colour photos of Spitfire with red disks but I’d still love to see any with pink or white ones.

Anne.

Anne,

I have recently seen a some original half plate colour transparencies including a number of Spitfire variants. V, IX, XIV & 46.

The discs are principally pink as the brighter of your two examples.

I believe the colour was actually ‘bright pinky red’ that fades and weathers over a number of years to ‘dull pink’.

Mark

Weybridge blades – Weyroc?

I should know better than to try and take Mk.12 on when it comes to Spitfires.

Sure enough, prior to 1944, Jablo blades with Rotoloid coverings would have white disks while all other Jablo blades used the pink/red disk. After March 1944 Rotoloid covered Jablo blades fell into line with the rest and went pink while Aluminium blades took over the white disks.

I’d always thought that black and white photos of Spitfires with light coloured disks were fitted with Weybridge blades. Not so. In the case of Mk.Vs it shows they are fitted with RA.690RS or RA.10049/R Jablo blades.

As for Weybridge blades, they did make their way onto a few Spitfires. The type D (PR.III) used DR.291 blades when a RX5/2 propeller was fitted and RA10120 Weybridge blades were tested on the Mk.21.

I’ve see a number of any colour photos of Spitfire with red disks but I’d still love to see any with pink or white ones.

Anne.

How interesting and strangely contradictory as, of the manuals I have, the first doesn’t list any white disks at all while the second dating from 1944 lists white as being for metal blades.

While we’re at it here are a couple of photographs which have been sent to me.

Both are Jablo blades but as you can see the first disk has a much pinker hue than the second which looks very red. The latter is more characteristic of the original Jablo blades I’ve seen.

First a RA10167/RTS Blade from a R22/4F5/8 Propeller as fitted to Seafire Mks XV & XVII.

Second a RA10160/RTS Blade from a R23/4B6/4 Propeller as fitted to Firebrands.

As for Weybridge blades, more tomorrow.

Anne.

Anne,

From the Dowty-Rotol service manual for the R-/5F5/-

Note first page is the original scheme of wood blade identification, second page is the revised scheme of wood blade identification.

I am not familiar with the term ‘Weybridge’ blades in connection with Spitfires, please tell us more.

Mark

Anne,

Repeating my adjacent post.

For the Basic R-/5F5-…..

Dowty-Rotol white disc indicates:- Material Jablo Wood, Covering Rotoloid or Rotoloid thin, Sheath either none , brass or steel, being respectively R, RS, RTS and RA blades,

Mark

Not according to the APs I’m looking at. Both AP3082 and AP1538E list Pink for Jablo, Yellow for Weybridge, Green for Hydulignum and White for Aluminium Alloy.

Anne

Anne,

Repeating my adjacent post.

For the Basic R-/5F5-…..

Dowty-Rotol white disc indicates:- Material Jablo Wood, Covering Rotoloid or Rotoloid thin, Sheath either none , brass or steel, being respectively R, RS, RTS and RA blades,

Mark

I don’t have the manual for this blade but for the Basic R-/5F5-…..

Dowty-Rotol white disc indicates:- Material Jablo Wood, Covering Rotoloid or Rotoloid thin, Sheath either none , brass or steel, being respectively R, RS, RTS and RA blades

There is one Spitfire variant to my knowledge flying with original and overhauled Dowty-Rotol ‘wooden’ blades.

This surprised me, in this day an age, when this variant made its first post restoration flight. I had assumed the blades would be Hoffman type.

Mark

Just a thought…is the root end a black colour if so you sometimes have to remove this black gunk before the drawing number becomes visible.

Anne

While We’re At It, Here’s Another Spitfire Prop Question

RWhincop’s rather nice Rotol blade has got me thinking (dangerous I know).

Mk.V Spitfires fitted with Rotol props would have used RX5/10, RX5/14 or RS/24 Propellers all of which used RA.690 or RA.10049 Blades. Both these blades used the Jablo construction method which means that all Rotol Blades fitted to Mk.Vs should have a pink (actually more like brick red) disk towards the root end of the blade.

If you look at RWhincop’s prop, http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=77470
it would appear to have a faded yellow disk suggesting that it’s a Weybridge prop. Now I’m happy that this is a Spitfire V / Seafire I/II blade but I’m wondering if anyone has a period colour photograph of the above aircraft with either a yellow disked Weybridge prop or a Jablo blade with a pink, and not dull red, disk. If Jablo blades did originally use a more pink colour it could explain why many black and white photos appear to show Mk.Vs with Weybridge blades.

Thank you.

Anne

Cyqq…Stupid question time…You are talking about Rotol blades here (now replaced by Hoffmann Propellers) and not the Watts fixed pitch blades?

Anne

No other numbers unfortunately. It does look like the Mk V blade in Mark 12’s photo. Thanks for your help.

I guess my question should be “is it safe to be using original wooden props?” I have two remaining and plan on using one for promotional materials. It has been repaired once by persons unknown. I had planned on acquiring four new blades when the time was right.

No.

Mark

I guess my question should be “is it safe to be using original wooden props?” I have two remaining and plan on using one for promotional materials. It has been repaired once by persons unknown. I had planned on acquiring four new blades when the time was right.

Is anyone aware of any current restored Spitfires flying with original props?

Yes.

Mark