Hi all,
About a decade ago it was mentioned that the restoration of Spitfire’s would be coming to a grinding standstill soon because of the increasing difficulties of finding a servicable (Rotol) prop hub .
Ten years later the number of Spitfires with fourbladed propellers seem to increase and there is no mention whatsoever about the prop hub problem.
What has happened? Are these being made anew, adapted from other types or are there still plenty of NOS hubs available?
Cheers
Cees
By: HP57 - 12th October 2004 at 15:43
No three blade Ham Standards on flying Spitfires either methinks.
A couple of Spitfires in the BoB film were fitted with metal Buchon blades and hub, of Dowty-Rotol manufacture.
Mark
Which raises the next question: :rolleyes:
Were these Rotol props adapted for use on Spits while three bladed Hamilton Standards were used to power the various Hispano restorations (to give it a more German “feel”).
Cheers
Cees
By: Mark12 - 11th October 2004 at 20:00
Polish
Re Ham Standards-
I’m FAR from expert – No Spits with Hamilton Standards. But I think there were some Buchons with Ham Std props (ex DC-3?) including G-HUNN(?) and there was a Spitfire in the Battle of Britain filming with a Buchon prop… So, in theory… But that was then, and this was now. Mark, can you correct/polish/elaborate/dismiss? 😀
No three blade Ham Standards on flying Spitfires either methinks.
A couple of Spitfires in the BoB film were fitted with metal Buchon blades and hub, of Dowty-Rotol manufacture.
Mark
By: Mustang Fan - 11th October 2004 at 19:17
Re Ham Standards-
I’m FAR from expert – No Spits with Hamilton Standards. But I think there were some Buchons with Ham Std props (ex DC-3?) including G-HUNN(?) and there was a Spitfire in the Battle of Britain filming with a Buchon prop… So, in theory… But that was then, and this was now. Mark, can you correct/polish/elaborate/dismiss? 😀
G-HUNN certainly flew (and probably still does) with a three-blade Hamilton Standard prop. The four blade Buchon props were specially produced by Rotol and yes, were interchangeable with a Rotol Spitfire type 4-blade prop. There is a published picture of Spitfire TE308 wearing one to prove it.
By: HP57 - 11th October 2004 at 19:11
I totally agree :p
Cheers
Cees
By: JDK - 11th October 2004 at 19:08
Am I correct that some Hurricanes are flying with a Merlin/Hamilton Standard prop combination? Wasn’t that a Canadian modification where they had to leave off the spinner.
Happy to be corrected, but the answers are ‘yes’ and ‘no’ the Canadian style spinner is the more streight sided bucket look (first seen in restoration on the Bob Dimart rebuild, and in the UK on the TFC example) but it was often left off in Canada, and it’s never been a popular shape in rebuilds… That’s from memory!
By: HP57 - 11th October 2004 at 19:02
Am I correct that some Hurricanes are flying with a Merlin/Hamilton Standard prop combination? Wasn’t that a Canadian modification where they had to leave off the spinner.
Thanks guys for the replies,
Cheers
Cees
By: JDK - 11th October 2004 at 18:45
It’s one of those precision things Cees. The article you are thinking of (I think) was Richard Paver’s assesement of potential blockages to Spitfire restorations. IF I remember correctly, (heh) the only part not cost effective or likely to be remanufactured at that stage was the prop hub – but as we’ve seen even that theory got overturned!
Re Ham Standards-
I’m FAR from expert – No Spits with Hamilton Standards. But I think there were some Buchons with Ham Std props (ex DC-3?) including G-HUNN(?) and there was a Spitfire in the Battle of Britain filming with a Buchon prop… So, in theory… But that was then, and this was now. Mark, can you correct/polish/elaborate/dismiss? 😀
By: Whitley_Project - 11th October 2004 at 15:14
A four blade Hamilton Standard prop on a Spitfire. 😮
I don’t think so.
Mark
Then try a 3 blader 😉
By: Mark12 - 10th October 2004 at 22:07
Hi Cees
You can use an american hamilton standard prop instead but of course it’s nice to use a rotol one.
A four blade Hamilton Standard prop on a Spitfire. 😮
I don’t think so.
Mark
By: Whitley_Project - 10th October 2004 at 21:41
Hi all,
About a decade ago it was mentioned that the restoration of Spitfire’s would be coming to a grinding standstill soon because of the increasing difficulties of finding a servicable (Rotol) prop hub .
Ten years later the number of Spitfires with fourbladed propellers seem to increase and there is no mention whatsoever about the prop hub problem.
What has happened? Are these being made anew, adapted from other types or are there still plenty of NOS hubs available?
Cheers
Cees
Hi Cees
You can use an american hamilton standard prop instead but of course it’s nice to use a rotol one.
By: Mark12 - 10th October 2004 at 15:37
Hi all,
About a decade ago it was mentioned that the restoration of Spitfire’s would be coming to a grinding standstill soon because of the increasing difficulties of finding a servicable (Rotol) prop hub .
Ten years later the number of Spitfires with fourbladed propellers seem to increase and there is no mention whatsoever about the prop hub problem.
What has happened? Are these being made anew, adapted from other types or are there still plenty of NOS hubs available?
Cheers
Cees
Cees,
At great expense Dowty Group made a bunch, plus a few more have surfaced in the intervening period.
Mark
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October 10, 2004 at 3:28 pm